Weakness
by ZehHyperactiveAuthor
Summary: The 'Ultimate Life Form', unable to sit up? How is this possible? Well, I've got news for you. I, Shadow, have a weakness. That's right, I said WEAKNESS. Tell anyone and I'll chaos-blast you into oblivion. As soon as I get my strength back, that is...
1. Lousy Mortal Food

Me: Hey! I'm back! And with my first Shadow story! Yay me! This is just a substitute for Project Supernova. I am almost finished, but not quite.

See, I said I would update with the next five reviews, which shouldn't have been a problem, since it usually takes about a month at the least for that to happen. About three days later, I get _**SEVEN**_ reviews! Special thanks to someone named Mnicknack who decided to leave _awesome_ reviews on _every one of my stories!_ _**THANK YOU SO MUCH!**_ *ahem* Anyway, enjoy the story!

Roxy: She doesn't own anything.

Me: Hey! Where have you been?

Roxy: *sigh* Explaining who I am to everyone. They keep asking! Why? Did you miss me?

Me: O-of _course_ not!

Roxy: Read and review!

_Dang hatchet's too far away._

_Table? Too heavy._

_Maybe I could use the blanket as a rope, but she'd have to get close enough…_

_If only I could still chaos-spear…_

I sighed wistfully, picturing all of the gruesome ways I could kill my current host. I could almost hear her agonized screams. She would be cowering…begging…pleading for her worthless existence. But I would show no mercy, for **I** was the **Ultimate Life Form**.

Now if only I could sit up…

I sighed in agitation, trying for the umpteenth time to get comfortable on the fluffy reddish-orange sofa I was currently laying on. This might've been a lot easier if I didn't feel like an elephant had spent three hours _sitting _on me.

Now, I know what you're thinking. The Ultimate Life Form feeling _weak_? Unable to sit up? How _lame _is that? Well, I got news for you. The Ultimate Life Form has a weakness. That's right, I said _weakness_. Tell anyone and I'll chaos-blast you into oblivion. As soon as I get my strength back, that is.

See, while you humans get your stamina from things like eating and sleeping, _I _get my power from chaos energy. I'm like a chaos generator. My body constantly produces chaos energy, so that I could go for years with out eating, sleeping, or even exercise and still come out kicking.

Which is great…until a certain madman figures out how to _harness _that energy. That crazy doctor drained me dry, in the _dead of winter_, and left me to turn into a _hedge-cicle _while he transferred _my_ energy into some Christmassy, egg-related weapon he planned to use for his latest attempt at global domination!

That being said, I suppose I should be grateful that someone found me. I just wish it hadn't been that infuriating wolf!

"Oh Shaaadow…"

Speak of the devil…

I turned my head slightly to fix my normally spine-chilling glare at the silver-furred headache who was leaning casually on the back of the sofa, smirking down at me.

"_What?_" My harsh response only caused her smile to widen. I just know she's _enjoying_ this.

"Oh, don't give me that! I was just gonna let you know I'm starting dinner. How does chicken soup sound?"

"…Horrible."

"Great!" She stood up. "I'd better get stared then!"

_Vase? Too far away._

_Picture frame? Ditto._

I sighed in irritation. It was still hard to believe that I'd only been here for what…a week? And _five_ of those days I was unconscious (and apparently snore…). So that means that means I've only spent two days with her and she's _already _driving me up the wall. Which means she's more annoying than Sonic's sense of humor. And Amy's possessiveness. And Cream's high-pitched voice. And even that stupid blue fuzz-ball she calls her pet!

On second thought, I take it back. I'd gladly hold an entire conversation with that chao than spend another day _here_!Why? I am usually very apathetic. It takes a _lot_ to get under my skin. I can take whining, nagging, hyperactive-ness (*cough* Sonic *cough, cough*), and even the occasional obsessive fan-girl attack without flinching. But this particular wolf has been hopping around on my dignity with a spear-tipped pogo stick from the moment I awoke. It is a constant challenge not to lose my temper.

"Dinner's ready!" came the cheerful call from the kitchen as the wolf, who goes by the name of Jasper, poured the soup in a bowl and made her way toward me. I could smell several different spices from my vantage point on the couch, and my stomach growled it's approval. Rather loudly.

"Hungry, are ya?"

"Drop dead."

"Maybe later." In one fluid motion, she set the small, breakfast-in-bed table on my lap and placed the food on it, complete with spoon. However, the instant my hand touched the spoon, she snatched the bowl away. I gave her my this-had-better-be-good glare. Jasper responded with a smile, amber eyes adorning an unnerving mischievous glint.

"You forgot to thank me, Shadow." She tsked and shook her head.

"…._What_?"

She kneeled down and gave me a look she'd give a confused toddler. "Thank: Verb- to express feelings of gratitude to somebody or-"

"I _know_ what 'thank' means!"

"Then prove it. Say thank you."

"No."

"Oh, come on, Stripes. I made all that effort to prepare this; the least you could do-"

"You heated up leftovers! Big deal!"

"My house, my rules. Now say thank you."

"Make me."

A pause.

"Okay." Ignoring my perplexed expression, she promptly turned and placed my food on the kitchen counter. My stomach immediately growled in protest.

I scowled. "If you're trying to threaten me…"

"I am not threatening you," she replied calmly. "You are living in my house. If you wish to eat the meals I provide, you will thank me for them." I folded my arms in heated defiance. The sooner she learned not to push me around, the better. She sighed. "Suit yourself." Then, she walked back to the serving bowl and poured some for herself, which she proceeded to eat _right in front of me_.

Not that this bothered me, of course. The Ultimate Life Form didn't need lousy mortal food. I would be just fine, thank you very much. Even so, it was going to be a very long night…

Me: Ahhhhhhh! That was HORIBLE! I got Shadow's personality all wrong! Oh well, nothing a bit of DgShadowChocolate's stories won't fix! And I _know_ it's short! I promise you, the next one will be longer! I'll update with the next five reviews! Though what I update on depends on my poll results…*Hint, HINT!* So REVIEW!


	2. A Battle of Wills

Me: Hey there! I'm back! I originally didn't plan to update this. Ever. But, a writer named Charmygirl5 convinced me otherwise! Now, my muse is back! Soooooo, enjoy!

…_372…373...374...375… _Shadow sighed loudly, frowning at the bumpy ceiling. …_376...377...378-Wait…_Shadow squinted at the tiny dots sprinkled across the wood above him. _Was that 379? Looks like two…No, it's just one. _He sighed again. What had become of him? The Ultimate Life Form, the most powerful being in all of creation, reduced to counting dots on a ceiling for entertainment.

But what was there to do? He couldn't exactly _move_. He'd been laying in this position on her couch for over four weeks now and he was _sick of it_! He'd spent most of his time here planning his revenge on Robotnic, exchanging verbal insults with his self-proclaimed 'nurse', and counting dots on the ceiling. Now, he'd pretty much planned his revenge down to the very last detail, and Jasper had left to restock the wood pile. So, here he was, counting dots on the ceiling.

In a word? Boring. Shadow groaned, refocusing his gaze on the ceiling above him. _….380...381...38-Forget this! _Shadow gave up, growling in annoyance. He was starting to go _insane_! He couldn't take much more of this…He'd even prefer that aggravating wolf's company over this unending quite!

As though on cue, the little cabin was suddenly filled with the sound of the door being kicked open, bringing Shadow both relief and dread. He couldn't see Jasper enter the house as he was currently lying on the couch, facing the opposite direction of the door. She was soon in his sight, though, as she made her way passed the kitchen in front of him. In spite of the deer carcass on her back and the heavy load of wood in her arms, she didn't look the least bit tired.

"Hey, Stripes!" she greeted him cheerfully, grinning at his scowling form. "Howzit going?" Shadow's only reply was a smoldering glare. "That bad, huh?" She chuckled, getting down on one knee to stack her load on the woodpile next to the fireplace.

As she moved, the deer's head flopped lifelessly to the side, now focusing its unblinking gaze on the couch's sole occupant. Shadow directed his glare at it. Unintimidated, the dead deer continued to stare at him. Shadow scowled. The deer stared. Blinking, the ebony hedgehog turned away uncomfortably. The deer's lifeless gaze was just a little bit…creepy. Not caring, the deer stared on.

Meanwhile, Jasper continued to ramble, completely oblivious. "I caught dinner! It's a good thing I brought my gun. I really didn't expect to hunt anything, but you never really know when the next meal will come along." Placing the last log on the pile, she turned to Shadow. "How does deer soup sound?"

The paralyzed hedgehog simply glared at her, refusing to answer. The wolf had an annoying tendency to turn his own words against him. Jasper grinned. "Good! I'm glad you like it!" she chirped. "Be right back." With that, she turned to head toward the door, the deer once again flopping its gaze toward Shadow and proceeding to stare at him until out of sight. Shadow listened for her footsteps as she walked around the porch and off it. Then, having no choice, he refocused his glare on the ceiling.

…_382...383...284…_

About an hour later, Jasper had reentered the house and was currently in the kitchen, frying a portion of the meat. She glanced back at Shadow, who hadn't said a word all day long. Turning back, she frowned. She kind of felt sorry for him. He must be terribly bored. So why wasn't he saying anything?

She glanced back again to see him glaring at her, before returning her gaze to the meat. Always glaring. It was as though he was trying to scare her into submissiveness. The silver wolf set her jaw and squared her shoulders. Well, he was wasting his time. She refused to let his scowl intimidate her.

It was a _little_ unnerving, though, what with him having fur blacker than the starless sky and blood-red eyes. She'd never met anyone with his eyes, nor such an intense gaze. He could feel his eyes boring holes in her back as she cooked. It was near impossible to ignore him. Even while helpless, his very presence filled the room.

Still, he was nothing more than a prideful, arrogant hedgehog who threw a tantrum when he didn't get his way. She would show him. The sooner he learned that he couldn't control her, the better. This was her house, not his. She'd been living here for several years now. He was a _guest. _

With that in mind, she smiled cheerfully and turned to face him. "Your dinner's ready," she announced, bringing the food over.

"It's about time," Shadow grumbled as she made her way toward the edge of the couch. However, in stead of placing the bowl on his small, fold-out table, she held it out.

"Here," she offered.

Shadow's glared intensified. He could barely lift his arms, much less sit up, and he had to do both in order to reach the bowl. Was she trying to make a fool out of him? The ebony hedgehog folded his arms, looking her strait in the eyes. Well, she would just have to try harder.

Jasper recognized his look of defiance immediately and smirked. "Aren't you hungry?" she teased. Shadow continued to glare in silence. "Fine." She pulled up a chair, and, using the couch's armrest as a table, started eating his food. This was a common occurrence around mealtimes. Usually, Shadow would go hungry, though a precious few instances, his hunger had forced him to submit.

"Put the food on the table," Shadow ordered, his deep voice calm, but with and underlining fury.

Jasper met his intimidating gaze without flinching. "Come and get it," she replied, once again holding out the bowl. For a few tense moments, the two locked eyes, sunset-orange clashing with crimson as the atmosphere crackling with hostility.

Finally, Shadow spoke, his words stiff and forced. "I _can't_," he hissed, flinching as the words left his mouth. Though she didn't show it, Jasper was impressed. It took a lot for anyone to admit their faults, much less _him_. She was making progress…

"Sure you can," Jasper contradicted immediately. "Don't be silly. You've been lying on that couch for nearly a month without moving. If you really are the incredible creature you keep proclaiming yourself to be, you should've been able to sit up weeks ago!"

Shadow didn't reply, dropping his gaze to scowl at the couch. He knew she was right. She knew that he knew. Good, she'd eased some sense into him. Now, to pass the unreasonable stubbornness. Jasper smiled encouragingly. "Come on, Stripes. You just need some practice."

He looked back up at her, studying her expression for a few minutes in silence. Jasper just stood there, leaning against the armrest with the bowl in her hands, patiently waiting for him to make up his mind.

In order to reach the bowl, he would have to suffer the humiliation of struggling to reach it. It would take him a good minute to sit all the way up, forcing him to look pathetic. This would completely ruin any chance he had at intimidating her. He could tell his glare effected her, though she was very good at hiding it. He was wearing her down. Still, she was a very stubborn wolf, almost as stubborn as he was. Almost.

Shadow set his jaw and turned to scowl at the fireplace. It wasn't worth it, he decided.

Jasper mentally sighed. She'd been _so close_. Oh well…maybe next time. Still, she could tell he'd actually made an effort to reason with her instead of just his usual blatant refusal. So, this time, she wouldn't eat in front of him. He was working in it. She would reward him.

Straitening, Jasper placed the bowl of soup on the armrest, turned and headed toward the kitchen. After serving herself, she picked up her bowl and headed toward the door. "Don't spill," she called over her shoulder before closing the front door.

As silence descended, Shadow returned his gaze toward the bowl in mild confusion. Usually, she'd eat _his_ food. What was she up to? Shadow frowned at the food sitting a mere two feet from his nose. The aroma was starting to get to him, increasing the pain in his middle. If he could just…

Shadow reached his arm forward, coming about a foot short of the bowl. Cursing, Shadow reached further, his shoulders barely off of the couch before he flopped back, exhausted. He really _was_ pathetic. Stupid doctor with his stupid machine. As soon as his strength returned, he was going to find that thing and maliciously tear it to pieces. Of course, his strength wasn't coming on its own. He needed food.

Taking a deep breath, Shadow once again reached for the food, going about an inch further before falling back to the couch. After catching his breath, he tried a different tactic. Pushing behind himself with his arms, he managed to prop himself up on his elbows. He paused to rest for a few seconds, then slowly pushed himself forward with his hands. Just…a little bit…further…There!

Finally, he managed to straiten his arms completely, locking his elbows as his claws dug into the sofa. However, he could feel his muscles shaking, having not been used for so long. They were about to collapse, but he was so close! Grunting, Shadow gave one last reach, jerking his body forward. Bang! Shadow muttered a curse as his forehead smacked against the fold-up table. That hurt.

Now what? Shadow had managed to reach over enough to sit strait up, then let gravity take him the rest of the way. He had promptly flopped forward like a rubber turkey, unable to keep himself upright. Now, his head was resting against the table's flat surface with his arms dangling loosely on either side. Somehow, he had to get the bowl on the table.

In order to do that, he had to sit up of his own accord long enough to reach over toward the bowl, get it onto the table with out spilling, and return to his original position. If he didn't, he would either spill the contents of the soup all over his legs, which Jasper would have to clean, or his strength would give out the moment his soup was on the table, causing him to face-plant into his soup and drown. That was definitely _not___how he wanted to die, thank-you-very-much.

Shadow froze at the sound of the door opening. Oh, no. Not now! Jasper was humming as she strode casually toward the kitchen, placing her bowl in the sink. Shadow shut his eyes. _Please don't let her turn around._

"You know," Jasper called as she turned on the facet water. "One of the benefits of living by yourself is you never have many dishes."

_Don't turn around. Don't turn around. Don't turn around!_

Jasper shut off the water and turned. "In large families, the dishes can sometimes take-" She froze in mid sentence, her eyes resting on a very humiliated Shadow. He was flopped forward with his head on the table and one of his arms hanging off the side of the couch. His quills scrunched up and awkward-looking from laying in the same position for so long and his ears were laid flat against his skull.

It took all of Jasper's will power not to burst out laughing. Of course, she couldn't hide her smile, not that it mattered since he couldn't exactly see her. He looked absolutely ridiculous. The fact that he was stuck only increased the humor of the situation. After openly staring for long, dragging seconds, Jasper whirled around and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in an attempt to pull herself together.

Shadow wanted to die. He wanted Jasper to die. He wanted to dissolve into the couch. He wanted to eat the dang soup! He hated his life.

He heard her walk across the carpet and tensed as he felt her lay a hand on his head. "Here," she murmured as she pushed him back into a sitting position. Then, supporting his back with her other arm, she gently lowered him back down to the couch.

Shadow refused to meet her eyes, his pride shot to the moon. Jasper then took the bowl and placed it on the table in front of him. He looked at the food in surprise. "You've earned it," was all she said before turning to head back to the kitchen. Shadow just glared at the food for a moment before sighing.

"This is all your fault," he informed it quietly. The bowl just sat there. After a moment, he picked up the spoon and started eating.

"_You've earned it."_

Indeed, he had.

Me: Soooooo, what do you think? Good? Funny? Oh, and who here could totally picture Shadow flopped forward like that? I did! I made myself laugh! Tell me what you think! See that little button down there? CLICK IT! Thankx! XD


	3. Attack of the Rabid Chicken

**Me: Sincerest apologies for not keeping my schedule. I place the entire blame on a fan fiction error! Is it just me, or are they having a lot of those nowadays? Anyway, I will put up another chapter (on one of my stories) this weekend, as promised. ENJOY!**

**EVERYONE CAN ****SKIP**** THIS NEXT SECTION EXCEPT **_InAwe_**. **

***ahem* READ THIS BEFORE CONTINUING! I feel so honored that you're reading my stories! Thank you! As for you're questions, Shadow was an experiment created 50 years ago aboard a space colony, ARK. He was created by Professor Gerald as an attempt to find a cure for a sickness his 10-year-old granddaughter, Maria, had. **

**Shadow is the Ultimate Life Form because he was created immortal in an attempt to cure Maria. He can neither age nor get sick (he looks about 18 years old). The attempts of curing her were unsuccessful, but Maria befriended Shadow. She was like a sister to him. They lived together on the space colony for several years. If you're still reading this, put 'Adia' somewhere in your review.**

**Unfortunately, a military force named 'GUN' wanted to use Shadow for their own purposes. They wanted to use him as a weapon. See, in an attempt to find a cure, Gerald had made Shadow one of the only creatures capable of controlling chaos energy. It was his very life force. His eyes are red because of the chaos energy and because it looks cool. XD **

**Anyway, they invaded the space colony, killing everyone on board, including Maria. They took Shadow to earth and, fearing his incredible power, froze him in suspended animation. Shadow couldn't move, but was conscious every second, the scene of his best friend's death playing over and over again in his mind**

**Present time: Eggman sets him free, hearing about his incredible power, and tries to use him to concur the world (as per usual). . If you're still reading this, put 'Babushka' somewhere in your review. Shadow, seeking revenge, tried to destroy the world, fighting against Sonic and friends. Right when the world was about to be destroyed, one of the characters did something that reminded Shadow of a promise he'd made to Maria while she was dying in his arms. He'd promised to protect and watch over the people of the earth (or Mobius, depending on how you look at it) **

**He managed to stop the world from getting destroyed, but the moon was blasted in half. If you're still reading this, put 'Foofy' somewhere in you're review. Shadow fell to the planet below and everyone thought he died, but he showed up later, alive and well, for the most part. He's still extremely anti-social and, because he's so powerful, thinks of himself as greater than everyone else. His pride is a bit exaggerated in this fic, but that makes it more fun! **

**As for Jasper, no, she's not a main character. I created her for the sole purpose of annoying Shadow! The love possibility? Good question…I guess you'll just have to keep reading! XD ENJOY!**

"I'm baaaa-aaaaack!" Jasper sang as she swung open the cottage's wooden door, dragging a large cart behind her. The silver wolf was in an extremely good mood. She'd spent the entire day at town, collecting much-needed supplies, and a couple of things for Shadow. On her way back, she'd even caught a flock of wild hens! Hens meant _eggs_! She missed eggs.

Speaking of hens, one of them had gotten loose. It scrambled through the door after her, squawking and clucking angrily as it half-jumped, half-flew up on the back of the couch, then down onto a very startled hedgehog.

"Hey!" he yelled, swatting the hen off of him. Taking offence at this, the hen directed her anger at the helpless hedgehog and began to peck him on the head. The hedgehog yelled obscenities and continued to swat at it. Peck. Swat. Peck. Swat. Peck. Swat.

Finally, Jasper rounded the couch and scooped up the angry chicken. Shadow glared up at her, looking more ferocious then ever. The drops of blood and scratches covering his arms and face only added to this.

"Woops…," Jasper muttered, smiling apologetically. "Sorry about that." Shadow's eyes burned with anger. This time, though, his anger was justified. Feeling guilty, Jasper hurried out of the house to return the chicken to it's cage in the back. Then, she rushed back inside, heading strait for the bathroom. Seconds later, she was standing over Shadow, brandishing a wet cloth.

"Here, just let me…" She knelt beside him, his eyes boring holes in her, and brought the cloth to his head. He immediately flinched, jerking away. He continued attempting to avoid the cloth as she dabbed at his cuts.

"Quit it!" he ordered.

"Hold still!" she commanded, dabbing his head again.

"That _hurts_, dang it!" He caught her arm when she reached for his head again.

Jasper rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, you big baby! It's just a little disinfectant. It's not going to kill you!" Shadow only tightened his grip on her wrist. "Let go!" she yelled, trying to wrench her hand away from him, but was unable to do so. Since when did he get so strong? Frowning, she tried again, still unsuccessful. Returning her gaze over to him, she found him to be _smirking_.

Yeah, well if that's how he wanted to play it, then fine! She gave one last tug, then abruptly turned, laying with her back on his side. Now that she had leverage, she fell into his arm, trying to use her own weight against him. However, instead of him releasing his grip like she expected, he managed to keep a hold on her wrist so that she ended up twisting into a full circle, backing up against the couch, and falling.

Immediately, she froze. She'd accidentally fallen on top of him, laying face-down on his fluffy white chest. He still had a secure hold on her wrist, so his arm was now wrapped around her, preventing her from moving. She jerked her head upwards, her eyes only inches from his ruby irises. He smirked at her befuddled expression, which was…very…interesting up close…

"Not as weak as I look, huh?" he murmured, and she could feel his breath on her face. It played at her senses, stealing her own breath away and pretty much shutting down all logical parts of her brain. For a few seconds she was unable to move, held captive by his gaze.

Then, reality tapped her on the shoulder and coughed.

"H-Hey!" she yelled, jerking back as much as she could. "Let me go!"

Shadow's smirk grew as she struggled. "I don't think so."

After flopping uselessly for a few seconds, she groaned, burying her face in his chest. This was pathetic. She couldn't even escape a cripple! It was quiet for a moment, the only sound being the hedgehog's rhythmical breathing.

Let's see…Maybe if she got on her hands and knees, she could push herself off of him. Grunting into his fur, she inched herself up on her knees. Now to get on her hands…She struggled again. No good. He still had one arm wrapped around her tightly, trapping arms. Great.

Now, she had her rear sticking up in the air. Frowning, she straitened her legs, but instead of lowering them back to her original position, she accidentally scooted her self forward a couple of inches. She let out an uncharacteristic squeak as she and Shadow bumped noses. Now, she was even _closer._ Jasper swallowed nervously, unable to look away from his amused ruby eyes.

Amused. He was still smirking.

Peeved, she head-butted him. "Lemme go!"

Thunk!

"…_Ow_." She could feel the vibrations of his deep, breathy chuckle in his chest as she lowered her face to his shoulder. "You have a very hard head," she informed him. Then, she lifted her face to scowl at him. "How fitting."

"Having fun?" he joked, teasing her.

"Wee…," she responded dryly. Jasper sighed. "Come on, Stripes! Quit being a child and let me go!"

"Not happening."

"What, you not being a child?"

"Very funny."

"I wasn't kidding. Let me go!" Jasper struggled again, tugging on her wrist. He only tightened his hold. Again, she stopped struggling, glaring up at him. "Just_ what _are you getting from this, anyway?"

"Amusement." Shadow smirked again. "I'm not letting you go, Jasper."

Once again, the wolf was rendered more or less brain-dead. She just stared at him, transfixed.

After a few minutes, Shadow shifted uncomfortably. What was with her? Why was she staring at him…like that? Annoyed, and for some reason, nervous, he glared at her.

"What?" he growled.

Jasper blinked at the sound of his voice, snapping out of her trance. "N-Nothing…," she muttered, dropping her head to his shoulder again as she sighed in irritation. This was all his fault!

Well, she supposed she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. For a cripple, his grip was surprisingly strong. Not that she'd ever tell _him_ that... Hopefully, Shadow would eventually get bored with his immature little game and release her. Besides, she needed to cook dinner.

Shadow felt Jasper relax against him, her face pressed up against his neck with her eyes closed. What was she doing now? Shadow humphed. She was probably trying to get him to let his guard down so that she could escape. Tricky, but it wouldn't work.

Silence descended as seconds bled into minutes. The only sounds were their breathing, and the chickens clucking in the distance.

After a few minutes, the house was filled with color as the sunset shown through the window, highlighting everything with an unearthly orange glow. Eventually, the sun disappeared altogether. Darkness descended, and Shadow wished he was closer to the light switch.

Jasper was very good at staying still, Shadow realized as minutes bled into hours. He was getting bored again. This was pointless. She wasn't even struggling!

_Fine_, he'd let her go…Besides, he was getting hungry. Sighing, Shadow released his grip on her wrist and waited for her to jump off of him.

She didn't move.

Confused, Shadow poked her in the side. "Jasper?" The wolf groaned and mumbled something, shifting slightly. She snuggled closer to the startled hedgehog, moving her now-free arms to wrap them around him. Shadow instantly tensed. She'd fallen asleep. She was _sleeping_. On him.

Now anything but comfortable, the hedgehog struggled to push her off of him, but she only snuggled closer, tightening her hold, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like "…Mine…". His hands may be strong, but his arms weren't.

Shadow was suddenly feeling very cluster-phobic. Was it just him, or had the room gotten warmer? He could feel his heart hammering in his chest as his breathing quickened. Again, he tried to pry her off, and again, she tightened her hold, burying her face into his neck, nuzzling up to the crook of his jaw and sighing contentedly.

Shadow swallowed heavily. "J-Jasper! Get off of me!"

Dang, she was heavy! Did she eat bricks for breakfast or something?

Finally, after several unsuccessful attempts, he managed to pry her arms off of his neck. Immediately, they latched around his chest and she buried her face in his white fur. Shadow groaned. "Jasper!"

"…Fluffy…," she muttered, her breath tickling his chest fur.

"Off!" Shadow paused, sighed, gathered up his strength, and boxed her in the ear.

"Yeow!" the wolf cried, her eyes snapping open as her hand flew to the sore. The instant she released him, Shadow gave a mighty shove, sending her tumbling off of him and on to the carpet below.

There was a moment of silence before Jasper heaved herself up to glare at him, rubbing her ear. "What. Was. _That_?" she demanded.

Shadow glared at her. "You fell _asleep_!" he informed her furiously.

"So?" Jasper cried. "You kinda made it hard to move, so what did you expect?" Then, she grinned at him. "Besides…You're comfy."

Shadow pinned his ears back. "I _am __**not**_!" he insisted, but his words fell on deaf ears.

"Yes you are! You're so _fluffy_!" Jasper patted his chest for infuses.

Shadow swatted her hand away, folded his arms, and glared at the couch. Jasper smiled and stood up. "Jeeze, it's dark in here!" She flicked a light on, heading for the kitchen. "I'm starved!" she announced, sticking her head in the fridge. "Lemme just throw something together for us real quick…"

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

About an hour later, Jasper had fixed up a big, juicy slab of deer meat. Half of it was currently sitting on the edge of the couch, just out of an aggravated hedgehog's reach. Shadow frowned at the food before him, looking from it to an expectant Jasper and back. She was waiting for him to make a fool out of himself, wasn't she? Well, he'd show her!

Taking a deep breath, Shadow gathered his strength up and lunged forward, bringing the food to his plate before laying back down.

Jasper's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Wha…How….How did you?"

Shadow smirked back at her smugly. "I'm a fast healer," was all he said, before eating the meat. Well, it was mostly true. Still, he definitely wouldn't have been able to reach the food that easily without the seven hours of sit-ups he'd done while Jasper was out. However, that particular secret he planned on taking to the grave.

After staring stupidly for a couple more seconds, Jasper regained her composer and served herself a large portion. Then she rounded the couch and plopped herself down, right on Shadow's outstretched legs.

"Hey!" Shadow growled, annoyed. "Get off!"

"It's my couch," Jasper stated smugly, returning to her food.

Shadow glared at her. "So is that stool way over there."

Jasper swallowed her food. "Couch is comfier," she retaliated.

"Well, you're not sitting on the couch! You're sitting on _me_!"

"You're comfier than the couch."

Shadow flushed angrily. "I _am __**not**_!"

"You wish."

"You're cutting off the circulation in my legs."

"So? You'll never use them."

Shadow opened his mouth to yell at her, then hesitated, raising an eyebrow. "…Yes, I will."

"No, you won't."

Shadow frowned, studying her. What was she getting at? "Why won't I?" he questioned.

"Because you never practice," Jasper explained. "You're legs aren't going to regain their strength on their own."

Shadow glared at her. "Jasper, I can barely sit up! How the heck am I supposed to _walk_?"

Jasper smirked. "Who said anything about walking?"

The ebony hedgehog just stared at her, confused.

Jasper giggled, getting back to her feet and walking toward the door. "You'll figure it out. In the meantime, Happy Birthday!" she cried, dragging a cart into the room.

Shadow gave her a strange look. "…What?"

Jasper hauled the cart into his view, then leaned on it. "When _is_ your birthday, anyway?"

Shadow ignored her, changing the subject. "What is that?"

Jasper looked down at the cart. "What, these?"

"No, the smudge on your face," Shadow retorted sarcastically.

Of course, Jasper was what some people call naive. The rest of us just call it gullible. "A smudge? Where?" Jasper cried, frantically spinning around in circles as though that would help her to see it. Then she scrambled toward the bathroom mirror.

Shadow stared after her for a moment before rolling his eyes. She was so weird. With nothing better to do, he casually studied the cart before him and was surprised to find it stock full of books. She'd gotten these for him?

"Hey!" came the aforementioned wolf's voice from the bathroom. She stormed back toward Shadow. "There isn't a smudge on my face, you-" Jasper paused and followed Shadow's gaze to the books. "Oh, yeah. I got those for you. I figured you had to be bored out of your skull just lying around all day, so I thought these could occupy your time."

Shadow blinked in surprise. She actually _cared_? Huh. Who knew? In truth, the hedgehog was grateful. These would make things a lot easier. Of course, he'd never tell _her_ that.

So, he put on his most bored expression and turned away, feigning disinterest. "No thanks."

Jasper's expression fell slightly. "What? Why not? You can read, can't you?"

"Of course I can read!" Shadow said indignantly. "I just don't read _those_ kind of books!"

Slowly, Jasper's face transformed from shock to anger. "Well, _fine_ then! I was just trying to help!"

"Well, _stop_ trying!" Shadow replied. "I don't _need_ your help."

At this, Jasper smirked, suddenly understanding. "Okay, now you're just being prideful. I see what's going on here. Well, in that case, you're welcome!" she said cheerfully, patting his head.

Shadow growled, flinching under her touch as he glared at her. "I assure you, I am anything but grateful."

"So, you're _thankful_ then!"

"I am _not_ thankful!"

"_Suuuure_, you're not."

"I'm _not_!"

"Riiiiiiiiight…."

**Me:**** Yeeeeeaaaahhh….So, that chapter was just a liiiiiiiiitle bit different. *cough* Anyway, how did I do? Please let me know! Oh, and vote on my new poll! XD**


	4. The Picture

**Me: Tada! Knew chapter! Uh…you know what? Just read it. Enjoy!**

Shadow moaned quietly, turning to his side with his eyes shut tightly. After a few seconds, he once again returned to his back, then to the other side, then to his back again. No matter how he lay, it seemed he just could not get comfortable! Sighing, he folded his hands over his chest and closed his eyes, waiting impatiently for sleep to overtake him.

This temporary state of unconsciousness was such an alien concept to him. Only once before had the ultimate life form experienced such a state. Usually, he'd never had any need. Mortals were forced to use this 'sleep' to regain their energy. They were entirely dependent on it, and would become slow and weak without it, eventually dropping into unconsciousness. He'd never had such a weakness; his chaos energy was more than enough to sustain him, and never needed to be recharged.

There were only two events that caused Shadow to depend upon this state. The first was when he'd fallen through the atmosphere, after defeating the bio-lizard and teleporting the falling space colony to it's original position. He'd never used chaos control on something that massive before, and it drained most of his energy, not to mention what little power his wavering super form had left.

However, as he fell through the atmosphere, he found just enough energy within himself to chaos-control to the planet below. Unfortunately, he was to distracted by his close scrape with death and all of the emotional trauma he'd just lived through to remember he was supposed to picture where he wanted to reappear. As a result, he materialized about fifty feet off the ground and, though he was incredibly powerful, it was more than his damaged body could handle at the time. He ended up sleeping for a full 48 hours.

The second time, though, he'd slept for five days strait, and could barely move when he awoke, unlike his previous experience, where he'd woken up at full power and strength. Also, according to Jasper, he snored. This information stabbed a rather large hole into his already-damaged ego.

He knew what snoring was, for he'd heard it before, back when he lived on the space colony, ARK. He remembered Maria had crouched with him at the foot of her grandfather's bed, giggling at every noise the slumbering man uttered. While she considered it humorous, Shadow thought it incredibly aggravating.

The sound was a pleasant mixture of a misfired engine, a garbage disposal, a broken food processor, and sickness. He'd heard similar sounds coming from fatally diseased patients in the isolation chambers at the colony's hospital. It had taken his adoptive sister more than a little persuasion and a whole lot of patience to convince her paranoid friend that their grandfather wasn't dying. Even after Maria was sure he understood, the sound still made his fur stand on end, and he would continuously find himself resisting the urge to wake the professor up, just to be sure.

The fact that he snored unnerved him, but not as much as the fact that he could neither control, nor remember even doing so! When sleeping, he became completely unaware of his surroundings, and was therefore vulnerable. Even though he felt quite safe in his current dwelling (a fact he'd never admit aloud), he still tried to stay awake unless absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, he always seemed to fall asleep sometime after finishing his dinner and never before that!

Which brought him back to his current predicament. It was just impossible for him to fall asleep! Now, why would he even want to, if he hated that state of unawareness so much? The answer was very simple. Boredom. Shadow was dying of it, he knew it! This was an emergency, a last resort! There was no other option! So, he nestled down, and tried to sleep.

Not a minute passed before a loud squawk startled him, and he turned to come eye-to-eye with a large, brown-speckled chicken, the same one that had pecked at him before. She was sitting just outside the closed window, glaring at him. This was a glare he readily returned.

Since their encounter six days ago, the pathetic standoff had become a daily routine for them. The hen and hedgehog would spend a good portion of the day glaring at each other through the window, since neither really had anything better to do at the time. Neither participant moved nor blinked, staring intently at each other as their eyes dried out. Shadow's own eyes were burning, but he was determined not to lose this time!

After a good five minutes of intense staring, the hen blinked.

"Ha!" Shadow cried jubilantly, pointing accusingly at the scowling chicken. "I win! Take that, you pathetic piece of poultry!" The chicken sent him one last glare before disappearing from his sight, probably to nurse her wounded pride. After gloating for a couple of minutes, Shadow was once again bored.

Wonderful. For a few seconds, Shadow considered trying once again to sleep, but he decided against it. Shadow just simply wasn't a napping person. So, he began to survey his room, searching for a source of entertainment. Almost immediately, his eyes fell upon the book-cart resting against the wall near the fireplace. No. He couldn't. He wasn't _that_ desperate. Shadow turned away and continued his search.

However, as the hour progressed, he found his attention continuously coming back to the cart. Okay, so maybe he _was_ that desperate. He was _dying_, remember? Besides, Jasper had only gone out about an hour ago and she never came back from wherever she always went that early. She should still be gone for at _least_ another hour-and-a-half (Yes, he counted).

Now there was the problem of distance, which was currently one of Shadow's greatest enemies, second to immobility. The book-cart was a good four-and-a-half feet out of his reach. Still, after spending three months, two days, seven hours, and thirty-two minutes of his life as a cripple (What? He got bored! Besides, there was a non-ticking clock within eyesight.), he'd managed to find creative ways of winning over distance.

Shadow reached down under the couch and produced a three-foot wooden cane that Jasper had carved out for him a few days ago, so that he could use it to re-teach himself to walk. This idea-however ridiculous, since he was certain he could heal on his own-proved incredibly useful on multiple occasions. Of course, he'd never tell Jasper.

Still, even with the help of his cane, he was still about a foot-and-a-half short. After a moment's hesitation, the ebony hedgehog reached behind him and dragged the small table to his side, putting it between him and the book-cart. Then, using the table to support his right arm, he reached out his left arm with the cane extended toward to cart.

He missed, and his arm fell from the weight of the cane. Using the table as leverage, Shadow dragged the cane back and reached out a second time, then a third. Annoyed, the ebony hedgehog gave one last stretch, managing to hook the edge of the cart, causing it to move slightly toward him.

"Yes!" he cried out, since no one could here him. Now to pull it back.

Leaning entirely on the table, Shadow slowly pulled the cart toward him. He was being extremely careful not to lose his hold on it, but the cane was starting to slip off. In fact, it completely dislodged itself when the bookcase was halfway in-between the wall and the couch. This caused Shadow to loose his balance and drop said-cane, frantically hugging the table with both hands.

Once he was sure he wouldn't fall to the ground, he looked around for where the cane had landed, spotting it poking out from beneath the cart, just out of his reach. Great. With a firm, one-handed grip on the table, Shadow stretched out his arm, his fingers just barely brushing against the cane. Just…a little…bit….further….

He had almost closed his hand around the cane, when his hold on the table suddenly slipped, causing his hand to slide across it. As the ground suddenly rushed out to meet him, Shadow gave an uncharacteristic yelp, his free hand automatically grabbing on to the closest thing to stop himself. He ended up grabbing the wheeled cart, effectively stopping his decent, though the momentum caused the cart to scoot about a foot away from the couch, dragging Shadow with it.

The moment the cart stopped moving, Shadow immediately focused his attention on reaffirming his grip on the table. However, this proved to be quite a task, as his bare hand kept sliding off of it. Each time, Shadow was stretched further and further away from the couch, so that he was now holding on with nothing but his knees. Which was against the law of physics, since there was absolutely no strength in his legs. Shadow was so focused on this impossible task, he didn't even hear the door open.

Jasper soon entered, humming quietly to herself as she strode toward the kitchen. She froze at the sound of someone grunting. Confused, she rounded the couch, and was greeted with the funniest spectacle she'd seen. Ever.

Her guest was currently stretched out across the living room, struggling to regain his balance. He had one arm on the book-cart she'd brought him, and with the other he was clawing frantically at a small, bedside table, like a cat batting at the window. His knees were just barely on the couch, sliding further with every swipe he made. Lastly, he was so stiff, you could get your fist stuck between his shoulder blades, and every fiber of his fur was standing on end, puffing him up like a fluffy teddy bear.

At the moment, Shadow was turned away from her, his attention fixed solely on the table, which he could _swear_ was inching away from him. However, when he heard the familiar click and whir of a camera, followed by it's characteristic flash, he was so startled and horrified that he completely abandoned his quest for the table, causing the cart to scoot another two feet and pull him off of the couch so that he face-planted on the plush, purplish-red carpet below him.

Laughter greeted his ears as he used his hold on the cart to pull himself up into a sitting position. From there, he could see Jasper laying on the ground near the counters, clutching her sides as she laughed. In one hand, she held one of those instant-photo cameras, in the other, a developing picture.

"Oh-Oh, my gosh, Stripes! How-*giggle*-Why? D-Do I even want to _know_?" Jasper managed to wheeze before bursting into laughter again. Shadow ignored her, his attention fixed solely on the photo. How _dare_ she! Not only was she mocking him, but she'd captured his most humiliating image and would continue to mock it for the rest of her life!

As though to prove this, Jasper finally managed to stand up, striding over to a scowling Shadow and waving the now-developed photo in his face. "This…_This_ is a _keeper_," she proclaimed, an amused grin stretched across her face as laughter danced in her orange eyes. Immediately, Shadow made a sudden swipe at the photo. Jasper automatically jerked it away. "Oh, no you don't!" She scolded him. "I'm holding on to this one!"

However, as she started to back away, one of Shadow's strong hands suddenly wrapped around her ankle, preventing her from going any further. "Not if I have anything to say about it!" he cried, swiping at the photo again. This task might have been much easier if he wasn't temporarily paralyzed from the waist down.

Jasper jerked the photo back, holding it high above her head, and again backed up. At the same time, Shadow tugged her ankle toward him, completely knocking her off balance, so that she fell on her rear.

"Ouch! Hey! Let go!" she cried, tugging on her ankle, but Shadow was much stronger than her.

The ebony hedgehog scowled, his eyes fixed solely on the photograph. "Give me the dang picture!" he commanded. He reached for it with his free hand, only to have Jasper scoot away from him, leaning backward to keep the photo out of his reach.

Shadow growled deeply in annoyance, sending shivers up her spine, and tugged her ankle toward him. He dragged her until they were pretty much eye-to-eye, and reached for the photo again. However, while he may be strong, he still only had the strength of a child and his legs were completely useless, so Jasper managed to push back on his shoulders to keep him from going any further.

Their struggle for dominance continued for a couple more minutes before both finally figured out that neither of them were getting anywhere. Shadow finally took his attention off the picture to glare down at her, his lava eyes burning into her sunset orange. She was now effectively pinned underneath him, since she didn't have the strength to push him off of her and he didn't seem to plan on moving any time soon.

"Get off!" she yelled, struggling.

Shadow just frowned and pinned her down. "I don't think so."

"Lemme go!"

"I'll release you when you give me the picture," he told her.

Jasper narrowed her eyes. "Never!"

Shadow humph-ed. "Well, in that case, you'd better get comfortable, because I'm not releasing you until I have that picture."

Jasper was quiet for a moment, studying him. One could practically see the gears turning in her mind. Then, she gave a small, half shrug. "Okay." She place the picture on the carpet by her hand and flicked it out of reach. Then, Shadow stiffened as she wrapped both arms around him, snuggling into his shoulder with a contented sigh.

"H-hey!" he growled. "Let go!"

"You said to get comfortable," she retaliated, closing her eyes, "So I am."

Shadow swallowed as he felt her breath on the crook of his neck, suddenly wary of history repeating itself. "If you fall asleep, I'll just take the picture," he warned her.

"I didn't plan on falling asleep," she murmured. "You're just so comfy…"

Shadow flushed. "I am not!" he cried. Jasper just chuckled, hugging him close to her and lowering her head to his chest. Her smile widened when she found she could feel his frantic heartbeat pounding against his chest as his breathing sped up.

"Would you relax?" she laughed. "I'm not going to kill you!" Shadow turned away, muttering obscenities under his breath. Well, fine then. If that's how she wanted to play it, he accepted her challenge.

"I'm not moving," he informed her.

"..Kay…," she muttered, completely calm. However, as minutes bled into hours, she found him to be almost as stubborn as she was. He said nothing the entire time, just laying there, refusing to speak. Eventually. his heartbeat slowed and his breathing evened out. As time passed and he started to get used to her touch, he found himself strangely comfortable, even more than he'd been on her plush reddish-orange sofa.

Meanwhile, Jasper started to get _un_comfortable. No one could really blame her though, since she was starting to have trouble breathing. Every part of her body he'd been laying on had long ago fallen asleep, and he was starting to cut off her circulation. She was more than ready to move, so when she felt Shadow relax slightly, she started to panic. She needed to breath!

For about a half-hour, her mind whirled through endless possibilities of how to get him off of her, though only one seemed to have a fighting chance of _working_. Unfortunately, that was something she really, _really_ did _not_ want to do! She considered it an absolute last resort. So, as he relaxed and dropped his guard, she suddenly gave him a mighty push, managing to free herself from the startled hedgehog for a split second, and struggled to stand. However, Shadow quickly recovered and pulled her back under him, trapping her again.

"Stripes, let me go!" Jasper cried, struggling frantically.

"No." he told her, slightly disappointed that she'd started moving. He'd just started getting comfortable…

"You're cutting off my circulation!" the silver wolf cried.

"You'd better give me that picture, then."

"Please, get off! I'm having trouble breathing!"

"Picture first."

Jasper groaned, letting her head fall back against the carpet. She _really _didn't want to do this, but he was giving her no choice! Jasper sighed. "You brought this upon yourself, Stripes," she muttered. Before Shadow had time to figure out what she meant, Jasper grabbed a hold of his shoulders and pulled him towards her, smashing her lips into his.

Shadow froze in shock, his brain completely shutting down. What...what was she...? And then she tightened her hold on him, and the hedgehog couldn't think at all. It took a few moments for reality to kick in. She was _kissing_ him! The sudden wave of panic he felt jump-started his brain, and he managed to shove her away from him and scramble backwards.

Immediately, Jasper leapt to her feet and scrambled away, snatching the picture off the ground and holding it in the air victoriously. "FREEEEEE!" she cried, before tripping over dust molecules and falling flat on her face. "Ow," she groaned. Grunting she sat up again and rubbed her sore legs, working the feeling back into them.

After a moment, she glanced back toward Shadow. He hadn't moved since pushing her away, and was now leaning back on his elbows, gaping at her with his eyes the size of dinner plates.

"You're going to attract flies," she informed him with an amused smile. Shadow immediately snapped his mouth shut and glared at her, feeling a knot form in is stomach as his mind caught up to what just happened. Jasper laughed as she noticed the crimson blush staining his cheeks. Completely ignoring the fact that she was still blushing herself, Jasper got to her feet and put the picture on the counter, out of his reach.

Then, she walked over toward him. "Come on, let's get you back on that couch." However, as she approached him, the ebony hedgehog quickly scooted backwards, trying to get as far away from her as possible. The wolf chuckled. "Relax, Stripes," she told him, easily catching up and reaching down to grab his arm. He tried to jerk it away, but she'd already swung it around her neck, placing her other arm around his waist to support him. Shadow's blush only deepened.

Ignoring this, she led him to the couch and plopped him down on it. As she straitened, he continued to watch her warily, glaring at her. Jasper just smiled, shaking her head. "You gave me no choice, Stripes. I tried to warn you." The hedgehog growled in response. "You know," she continued, "It could've saved us both a lot of trouble if you'd just let me have the picture."

Grinning at his flustered expression, Jasper turned and headed toward the kitchen. As she pulled food out of the fridge, she had to pause for a moment and take a deep, calming breath, trying to steady her trembling hands. Even though it was fun to get on his nerves, she knew her blush wouldn't be disappearing any time soon.

**Me:**** Heh, yeah. I'd gotten so much response from the last chapter, and I'd had so much fun writing it, that I thought: Aw, why not? Hence, this chappy. Lemme know if you liked it, and **_**vote on my poll**_**!**

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	5. Sleep

About an hour later, the two of them were quietly eating dinner. Jasper sat at the couch, trying to ignore the fact that Shadow hadn't stopped staring at her since their little 'encounter'. Even while eating, he had his glare fixed solely upon her, his eyes boring holes into her head. Every now and then, she'd glance at him, then immediately turn away. From the look of it, it was almost like he was _studying_ her, his expression a mixture between thoughtful and confused.

It was getting on her nerves. Jasper's gaze wandered around the room, trying to appear nonchalant while looking anywhere but him. Her eyes soon fell upon the book-cart and the cane, still on the floor where they'd left them. The silver wolf grinned. Finally, a distraction.

"So," she mused, "It appears you _did_ need my cane after all."

Shadow blinked, finally turning away from her to glance at the cane, still lying on the floor. He scowled. "I don't need that stupid thing," he insisted.

"You were using it to reach my cart," Jasper pointed out, smirking, "Something you _also_ insisted you didn't need." She chuckled as she watched him squirm, scowling at the couch.

"I was _bored_, okay!" he cried, hating the fact that she'd been right. "What else was there for me to do? I couldn't even _sleep_!" He huffed, taking another bite of his dinner.

"Of course you couldn't," Jasper replied.

Surprised, Shadow glanced up at her. "Why not?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I thought you already knew. It's almost impossible for you to sleep at all, since you're body doesn't naturally depend on it."

The ebony hedgehog blinked. He'd figured as much. But if that was the case, then why did he always fall asleep at night? "I sleep every day," he pointed out.

Jasper shrugged. "Of course you do. I know your body needs sleep to heal, so I always dissolve sleeping pills in your supper."

Shadow suddenly chocked on his food and started coughing. "_What_!" he cried, shoving his food away from him like it was radioactive.

Jasper laughed. "Oh, would you calm down? It helps you heal!"

"I can heal _on my own_!" Shadow insisted, still glaring nervously at the mostly empty plate.

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "You look like you expect it to jump off and attack you." Shadow glared at her, and she was surprised at the look of betrayal on his face. She sighed. "Look, it was for your own good. Besides, I doubt you'd rather stay awake all night. You'd be more bored than ever!"

Shadow turned back to his food. "Did you put anything _else_ in there?" he demanded.

Jasper cocked her head slightly. This wasn't just about the sleeping pill. There was something else; she could see it in his expression. It was almost like…fear. "No," she assured him, her voice quiet and firm. "Contrary to what you might think, I actually don't put harmful medications in my patient's food." He looked up to meet her eyes then, surprised. It was as though she'd read his mind. "There's something else, though. Isn't there?" she questioned, and his eyes fell to the couch. "What happened, Stripes."

He was quiet for a long time, so long that Jasper almost thought he'd decided not to answer her. Meanwhile, Shadow was wondering why he'd decided he would. He never really talked about his past at all, not to anyone, so why her? Why did he feel comfortable talking about such a sore subject with one of his greatest enemies at the time. Perhaps he'd been here for too long…

Shadow shook his head slightly, then opened his mouth with every intention of telling her it was none of her buisness. "I'm different," he said, his quiet voice piercing the empty silence. "I'm powerful, ageless, and unable to be affected by normal, mortal diseases. Because of this, a group of…scientists…They used to give me things to test me: medicines, pills, injections. It was worth it, though, because of their cause at the time, but…..I still hated it." Shadow blinked. Did he really just say all of that? What was wrong with him?

Jasper didn't reply for a moment, frowning as she studyed him. Then, she quietly rounded the counter and went to kneel beside him, drawing his attention to her. She looked him strait in the eye, her expression a mixture between indignent, hurt, and angry. "Newsflash, Stripes: I'm. Not. Them. I never have been and I _never_ will be. Don't you _dare_ compare me to them." Before he could respond, she spoke without thinking. "Because, whether you believe me or not, whether you _like _it or not, I _actually care_."

For a moment, they held each other's gaze, one studying, the other with such sincerity that Shadow couldn't help but believe her. He'd told her something personal, and she still accepted him. Then, without being aware of it, something inside him started to trust her. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

"Okay?" Jasper demanded, wanting to be absolutely sure. Slowly, Shadow nodded, his eyes not leaving hers. Jasper smiled. "Good." Then she frowned slightly. "I probably should've told you sooner, but I was afraid you'd refuse to eat…"

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "You didn't exactly let me eat _anyway_," he pointed out and Jasper grinned.

"You deserved it," she insisted. Shadow rolled his eyes, smiling slightly. The wolf's own smile grew.

"You should smile more often," she blurted, watching as his smile disappeared.

Shadow frowned at her. "Why?" he demanded.

Jasper blinked at him. She'd said that out loud? The wolf shrugged, straitening up. "I dunno. I guess you just look nicer when you smile." Turning, she strode over to the log pile and started making the fire. Shadow rolled his eyes. She was so weird.

As the fire grew, he could feel the sleeping pill starting to take effect, and he found himself fighting drowsiness. He barely acknowledged when Jasper cleared his plate and washed the dishes. He just stared drowsily into the flickering flames. The next thing he knew, Jasper was shoving him to the side of the couch. "Scoot," she ordered him.

"Hey…," Shadow protested half-heartedly, too tired to struggle. He did put up quite a fight, though, when Jasper sat down beside him and hugged him to her, so that he ended up laying against her. "Let go!" he demanded, but was too exhausted to free himself. As it was, he was already struggling to keep his eyes open.

Jasper just shushed him. "Relax," she murmured. "Just rest." Shadow grumbled something, relaxing against his will as he felt her run her fingers through his quills.

"Do the words 'personal space' mean anything to you?" he muttered grumpily.

"Hmmm…," the wolf hummed, smiling. "No, not really." She laughed quietly as he uttered a swear word, but it was muffled by his drowsiness. "Hush now, Stripes. I made this fire and I intend to enjoy it. Just sleep."

Shadow was too tired to argue and just settled on watching the fire and listening to Jasper's slow, steady breathing. The flames danced up the chimney, their movements slow and smooth. Shadow was soon mesmerized by the fire, watching it drowsily as silence descended upon the little cabin. Keeping his eyes open proved to be a loosing battle, and Shadow finally gave in, shutting his eyes and relaxing against the wolf beside him, lulled to sleep by the beat of her heart.

Jasper smiled as she felt him drift off, taking her eyes of the flames for a second to glance at him. She suddenly wished she had her camera. His face was the picture of innocence, his expression relaxed and peaceful. If you didn't know any better, you could easily think he'd never frowned in his life. All traces of worry, distrust, anger, and hurt completely disappeared, replaced by a soft, contented smile. It was the most incredible sight she'd ever scene, and as she quietly lay him down, pulling a nearby blanket over his shoulders, she wondered what he could possibly be dreaming about.

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

_Maria was thoroughly engrossed in a novel when Shadow entered her room. She glance up and smiled slightly as he dove onto the couch beside her, ruby eyes glowing with excitement. _

"_Hey Maria!" he greeted cheerfully. "You'll never believe what I-Oooooo whatcha reading?" He scooted closer, bright red eyes peering curiously at her novel. Maria smiled sneakily and turned the book away from him, obscuring his view. "Hey!" he barked. "Lemme see!" Again, he tried to look, and again she managed to keep it away. This went on for about two more minutes, until Shadow finally tired of the game, snatched it strait from her hands, and fled. _

"_Hey!" Maria laughed as she immediately gave chase. For the next hour or so, the friends jubilant laughter echoed through the complex, temporarily lighting up the dreary atmosphere. Their little game of tag ended rather abruptly when Maria tackled her friend and they both fell with a muffled thud. Maria snatched the book away from her grinning friend, breathless, yet jovial. _

_The next few minutes passed in silence, save their heavy breathing, as they leaned against the wall and gazed out the hall window at the serene planet below. It seemed to be glowing as it's atmosphere reflected the sun's light. Pristine white clouds swirled across it's surface, and if you looked closely, vibrant colors of blue and green seeped out from under them._

_It was Maria who broke the silence. "It's snowing down there," she observed. "Look, you can see those types of clouds forming over India." She pointed at the shimmering orb._

"_Hmmm…," Shadow murmured. "I've never seen snow before…What's it like?"_

_Maria shrugged. "I don't really know," she sighed. "I was too young to remember." Her eyes began to take on a sad, wistful look, one Shadow was quite familiar with. He didn't ask her if she missed her old home or her parents. He already knew._

"_Good," he stated suddenly. "That way we can experience it together." Shadow smiled at his friend, and she smiled back. _

_Then her eyes lit up. "Yeah! And I can show you waterfalls! There's a really big one near my house! And I can show you grass! And the sky, Shadow! Just wait until you see the sky! I mean, it's one thing to see it in pictures, but to look up and just see and endless mass of blue, stretching out forever…You'd get a kink in your neck before you had a chance to see anything else!" She beamed at him, glowing with memories. Shadow smiled warmly at her. _

_Maria was never down for long. _

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

Shadow awoke slowly, opening his eyes to see the now-empty fireplace. He felt more content then he had in quite sometime, as he quietly mulled over his dream. The memories had been bitter-sweet, but he supposed he was glad he had them.

Nowadays, it was hard to remember his friend with out seeing her blood or hearing her cries of pain; it was easy to forget that she had once been happy. He supposed that dreams were definitely an upside to sleeping, for you could re-live moments in your life, and so far, they'd been nothing but pleasant.

"Morning, Stripes!" Jasper called cheerfully from the kitchen. "Sleep well?"

Shadow nodded without really thinking, still stuck in his thoughts. Jasper blinked at him, surprised he even responded at all, then she shrugged. "Well, good, cause today's a pretty big day for you! Today, you're going to start relearning to walk!"

Shadow's good mood immediately dove out the nearest window, screaming like a little girl.

**Me:****What do you think? Should I continue, or should I focus my attention on the stories that take place before this one? And vote on my poll!**


	6. Those Who Are Weak

**Me:**** Yes, I know, I took forever. The reason? My mother was once computer short for her class, so she used mine. I had no access to anything but the family computer, which is open for a grand total of 2 minutes a day, save homework. After I got it back, I had finals. **

**Now, they are over, and I can start updating regularly again. Sorry for the inconvenience. Enjoy!**

Shadow scowled at her, folding his arms. "I don't _feel _like it," he informed her.

Jasper rolled her eyes. "Not right this _second_! I'll help you later on today. I mean, you _just_ woke up! Jeeze, how cruel do you think I am?" The wolf paused. "Don't answer that."

Shadow snapped his mouth shut and smirked. She'd set herself up for that one.

"Anyway," Jasper continued, rummaging through a cupboard, "You currently have no strength in your legs, so if you tried to walk right now, you'd just fall flat on your face." Then she smirked at him. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Shadow just scowled at her.

"Ah-_hah_!" Jasper cried triumphantly, pulling out a strange looking knife. "_There_ you are." She stood up and closed the cupboard with her foot, then walked toward the couch.

Shadow's eyes widened as she approached and he immediately pressed himself into the couch, scrambling backwards in horror. "What do you think you're _doing_?" he cried, his pitch rising a few octaves.

Jasper paused to stare at him for a moment, looking confused. Then, her eyes lit up with realization and she keeled over with laughter at his freaked out expression. "Stripes! Oh, _gosh_! W-Would you _relax_? This is a _carving_ knife!" she giggled. Still chuckling, she continued toward the wood pile and began to examine the wood.

Shadow relaxed slightly. Oh. He knew that.

After choosing two logs around the same size, she glanced back up at him, grinning. His fur was still standing on end. "What did you think I was going to do?" she teased.

Shadow growled. "You were coming at me with a _knife_! What was I _supposed _to think?" he protested, still slightly flustered. Jasper just grinned, and he flushed with embarrassment. Shadow turned away to scowl at the couch, furious that he'd made a fool out of himself.

On _normal_ circumstances, if someone had come at him with a knife, he wouldn't have lost his composure. Heck, someone could have a _bazooka_ shoved in his face, and he wouldn't even bat an eye. But now, he was crippled. Helpless. Completely at the mercy of however might chance upon him. And he hated every second of it.

A strange rustling sound drew his attention back to Jasper. The silver wolf was currently laying out a tarp of some kind, spreading it across the floor in front of the couch. Then, she dragged a nearby chair on top of it.

Shadow was almost afraid to ask. "…What exactly are you doing?"

Jasper barely glanced up at him as she dragged the two logs over and leaned them against the chair. "Carving."

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

The wolf ignored him. She took a seat on the chair, picked up the knife, and began to carve the wood. She carved slowly and carefully, sending long, thin ribbons of wood to the tarp below her. Shadow watched her, having nothing better to do.

After a few minutes of silence, Jasper spoke again, not looking up from her work. "While I'm doing this, you should start trying to move your legs."

Shadow scowled. He already had, and he could barely move them three inches. It was humiliating. The hedgehog pretended not to hear her.

A few moments later, Jasper looked up at him. "Stripes…"

Her patient glanced at her. "What?" he asked innocently.

"You're not moving," she pointed out.

"I'm _paralyzed_, remember?"

"Yeah, and do you want to stay that way?"

"I won't." Shadow told her stubbornly. "I'll heal."

"Not without exercising," Jasper insisted.

"I don't have to," he repeated, folding his arms.

Then, Jasper grinned. "Or, I could just drop you off three miles from here and watch you crawl back."

Shadow glared at her. "You wouldn't _dare_," he growled.

"Don't give me a reason to," Jasper warned, narrowing her eyes.

For a moment, there was a miniature standoff as the two locked eyes.

"You're bluffing," Shadow stated unsurely.

Jasper rolled her eyes. "I don't make threats that I don't mean, Stripes. If I did, I would've threatened to stab you with this knife if you didn't shut up."

Shadow glared at her. "I'd like to see you try."

Jasper shook her head. "Like I said before, I don't make threats I don't mean. If I did, no one would ever take my threats seriously."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "I never do that anyway."

"Stripes, if you don't start exercising your legs right now, I will personally drag your stubborn self off out that couch, out the door, and into the woods. Then, I'd go back for the video camera."

The hedgehog scoffed. "_Exercising_ is for creatures who are too weak to take care of themselves.

Jasper smirked. "Like you."

There was a moment of stunned silence. Then, Shadow scowled. Drat, she actually had a point with that one. It took him a moment to rephrase his argument. Jasper carved as she waited, looking slightly amused.

"I _mean_," Shadow corrected himself, "Creatures who started out that way. _I've _been able to defend myself since the moment I came into existence."

Jasper scoffed, focusing on her carving. "I doubt you needed it that long."

Shadow frowned slightly. "Actually…"

Jasper's head snapped up to look at him, her expression a mixture between disbelief and pity. Her guest had grown quiet, staring out into nothing. For a split second, a flash of pain entered his eyes. It was gone in an instant as his eyes hardened, his face shifting to it's usual scowl.

For a few moments, Jasper studied him. "Shadow…"

Shadow didn't look at her, but one of his ears swiveled in her direction. She'd never called him by his real name before.

"You never had a chance, did you?" she mused quietly. "A chance to live." Shadow said nothing. Jasper frowned, remembering what he'd said about the scientists. From the moment he was created, he'd been seen as nothing but an experiment. For a moment, as she watched the storm raging in his eyes, Jasper tried to imagine what that would be like. Then, she wondered how he could have any sense of morality at all. "It's not fair..."

"_Life_ isn't fair," the ebony hedgehog spat, and Jasper was surprised at the amount of bitterness in his voice. He glared at the wall across from him with a burning hatred, as though it were the cause of everything that had happened to him.

His thoughts were currently on a little blond girl, drowning in her own blood. Since that day, the word 'fair' didn't exist in his vocabulary. She didn't deserve what had happened to her. None of them did.

For the first time since bringing Shadow into her own home, Jasper wondered what she'd gotten herself into. As far as she knew, the creature she saw before her had never had any good influence over his life. If that was the case, then the only reason she was still alive was that he needed her to survive. Once he had his strength back, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. The wolf watched the hedgehog before her, with fur blacker than sin, eyes the color of blood, and a permanent scowl, glaring at his memories with more contempt and scorn than she'd thought possible. Suddenly, she was scared.

For a few eternities, Jasper stared at Shadow, and Shadow glared at the wall. Then, the hedgehog blinked. Suddenly, the hatred was gone, replaced by something else. Shadow closed his eyes and sighed, sinking into the couch, and staying there for a moment. When he finally glanced at Jasper again, he looked very old, very sad, and very, very tired.

Then, Jasper remembered his smile. She'd only seen him smile twice. The first time was right after she'd told him she cared about him. The second was while he was sleeping. His face had taken on a look of absolute peace.

"What were you dreaming about?" Shadow stared at her, startled by her question. Jasper felt like banging her head against something. _Why_ did she ask him that? Watching his face transform into an annoyed scowl, the wolf knew she'd just metaphorically shot herself in the foot. Well, there was no taking it back now. She might as well shoot the other foot and be done with it. "You were smiling. While you were sleeping, I mean. I was just wondering because, well…"

Jasper hesitated, shifting uncomfortably at he glowered at her. "You're always so angry. From what you said about your past…and from what I see, I mean...I-it seems like you've never had any good in your life. So…I was wondering…what could _possibly_ make you smile?"

For a few moments, the room was silent, and Jasper had to remind herself that Shadow was currently crippled and couldn't kill her. At least, not yet.

Her question seemed to have a great effect on Shadow. What made him smile…That brought back a lot. Images flashed through his mind, memories of things past. There was an old, mustached man hunched over his computer, and a young boy proudly presenting a crude drawing to his mother.

There was the ARK's strange version of holiday, when the whole station had been decorated in bright colors, and everyone was in good spirits. There was an eight-year-old boy, an experiment like him, who'd stood up for those who persecuted him, and saw the good in everyone. There was that one toddler who had latched onto an important and extremely fragile invention, stubbornly refusing to let go and giggling as panicked adults ran circles around him.

Then came the image of the dream: a beautiful, serene planet, glowing in the light of the sun, and his best friend's eyes lighting up as she told him all of the wonders of that world she wanted to show him. Would show him. Never showed him.

"I had a friend, once…," Shadow spoke quietly. Jasper started as she heard him speak. He'd been quiet for so long, staring out into space as countless emotions passed in front of his eyes. Jasper watched him, waiting for him to continue, but he stayed silent, completely ignoring her, lost in his memories.

A friend. He'd had a friend. A friend meant a good influence. It meant he had a sense of morality. It meant he was a person, not a monster. Jasper almost laughed in relief as her fear fell away in waves. The tension in the room practically dissipated, and the atmosphere became more friendly and open.

"Jeeze, Stripes! You really gave me a scare there…," Jasper laughed as she turned back to her carving. "For a moment, I was afraid you were….Anyway, I was wrong." She shook her head in amusement. She'd been so scared, and for nothing! She could be such a drama queen sometimes.

"You might not of been," Shadow informed her.

She looked up at him, smiling. "I know I was."

Shadow frowned. "What did you think I was?"

"I was wrong," The wolf repeated.

"What was it, Jasper?" Shadow demanded, leaning forward slightly. "Just a moment ago, what was I to you?"

Jasper's eyes softened. "Someone who never smiled," she replied. The two stared at each other in silence. Then she continued. "Someone who was selfish, dangerous, and just pure evil. Someone without a heart and soul, who wouldn't hesitate to kill. A weapon."

Shadow winced slightly at every description she gave, his eyes widening a fracture. Then, they narrowed. "What makes you think you're wrong," he challenged her. Without a heart and soul? No. Evil? No. Selfish and dangerous? A weapon? _These_ he believed.

Jasper only smiled his implication, her eyes on her carving. "I know, without an ounce of doubt, that you are not who I thought who were." She stopped carving to look him in the eye. "Because you had a friend. You had a friend, and they made you sad." She smiled. "I meant what I said before, Stripes. I really do care."

Silence descended; the only sound was Jasper carving. Shadow stared at her, trying for the love of all things sane to understand her. That girl just didn't seem rational. "Your logic is flawed," he informed her.

Jasper giggled, holding up the wood for inspection as she replied. "Nope! You just don't understand it." She lowered her carving, smirking at him. "Some people are a bit slower than others. Don't worry, you'll catch up soon."

Shadow glared at her. "I could understand you perfectly if you actually spoke logically."

"You can't understand me because you don't have my intelligence!" Jasper jeered. "Admit it!"

"I was programmed with intelligence a thousand times grater than yours!" Shadow yelled indignantly. "I just can't possibly understand someone who _refuses_ to make _sense_!"

Jasper laughed. Shadow wistfully pictured strangling her.

"Hey, what do you know!" the wolf cried jubilantly, holding up the carving. "It started taking shape while I wasn't paying attention."

"You have the attention span of a sparrow," Shadow retorted before half-heartedly examining the wood. It was narrow on one side and wide at the other. The wide part had the beginnings of two separate holes in it, and the top was slightly curved. In fact, it had a very unnerving resemblance to…. "Those had better not be what I think they are."

Jasper grinned holding up the object proudly, as though it were the most brilliant idea on the planet. "I'm making you _crutches_!" she announced.

Shadow stifled a groan. He was going to look ridiculous on those! "I don't _need_ crutches!" he informed her. "Crutches are for the weak! I mean, those who started out that way.."

Jasper randomly leaned close, making a big show of studying him. Shadow leaned back, unnerved. She was in an odd mood. He hated it when she got like this.

"Hmmmm…." Jasper hummed, tapping her chin. Then, she leaned back. "You said you were programmed with intelligence, right? Did you ever have to learn _anything_? Or were you just programmed with the basic functions for living…"

Shadow folded his arms smugly. "Of _course_ I never had to learn anything! That's for the weak."

"Like your friend?" Jasper asked, then stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. Because of this, she didn't see his glare, and had no idea she was treading on dangerous ground. "So it's no wonder then…" She looked back at him. "You've never been like this before. You've were always strong and able. You could take care of yourself. You didn't need to eat, drink, or sleep. Everything was always within reach, accessible. You never had to work a day in your life, did you?"

He glared at her. "Work is for the weak," he informed her.

She grinned. _That's right, Stripes. Just keep digging yourself a bigger hole so I can bury you in it._ "So," she continued, and Shadow didn't like the mischief in her eyes, "So far, you've said that exercising, learning, work, and crutches are for the week, right? Did I miss anything?"

Shadow just glared, feeling nervous. He knew that look. She was about to turn what he said against him.

"Well," Jasper shrugged, "You're weak now, so I guess _you'll_ have to do all of that, won't you?"

"I meant those who start out weak-"

"I know what you meant, Stripes, but right now, you're weaker that all of us weak folks. Welcome to the club!" Then, her face turned serious and she leaned in slightly, demanding his attention. "You know what it's like to be strong. You've been spoiled rotten for a very long time, and that just takes all of the beauty out of life.

"You complain about everything and you mock us because you don't appreciate us or the 'little' that we can accomplish. You don't know how hard it is. You don't know how much we have to do just to get a little bit of that energy that you've had in abundance since you took your first breath."

Jasper leaned back in her chair and frowned at him, daring him to retaliate. He said nothing, so she continued. "Soon, you will have all of that at your disposal. However, until then, and for as long as you live under my roof, I am going to show you what it's like. Stripes, you know what it's like to have strength. Now, I am going to teach you how to be weak."

**Me:**** Hence, the name: Weakness. Ta-da! Now that I've finally gotten to the point of the story, things should progress a bit faster. However, I will also be writing Gifted. I want do finish that before I finish this. Hopefully. Anyhow, press the inspiration button and VOTE ON MY POLL!**

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**V**


	7. Carving 101

**Me:**** I'm BAAAAACK! Everyone have a great summer? I sure did! *falls asleep***

**Jasper:**** *sigh* I hate it when she does this to me. STRIPES! Come and do the disclaimer!**

**Shadow:**** No.**

**Jasper:**** Disclaimer!**

**Shadow:**** Make me.**

**Jasper:**** …Are you sure about that?**

**Shadow:**** …**

**Jasper:**** *starts taking something out of pocket* Well, if you insist-**

**Shadow:**** The author doesn't own me.**

**Jasper:**** Darn it. *puts thing away***

**Shadow:**** No one owns me! I am the Ultimate Life Form! I-**

**Jasper:**** Stripes.**

**Shadow:**** *irritably* What?**

**Jasper:**** Shut up.**

"Ta-da!" Jasper sang, proudly displaying a finished set of crutches to a very apathetic Shadow.

The ebony hedgehog merely glanced dully at her carvings before going back to his book. "Good for you," he muttered.

The silver wolf pouted. "Stripes, it took me _all night _to carve these," she whined. "You should show some appreciation for all the hard work I put into them."

"I did," Shadow muttered, not looking up from his reading.

"No, you didn't!" she protested.

"I said, 'Good for you'."

"That is _not_ appreciation!"

Shadow gave her a dull look. "I _acknowledged _your stupid wood. From me, that's appreciation." He returned to his book, ignoring the glare Jasper was giving him. He didn't see her expression turn thoughtful, or the mischievous smirk that slowly claimed her features. He was going to regret that later.

For now, though, she pushed her thoughts aside and went to peer over his shoulder. "Whatcha reading?" she asked.

Shadow glared at her. "None of your business."

Jasper shrugged, rounded the couch, and read the title herself. Upon doing so, she wrinkled her nose. "You're reading _that_?" she queried. "Man, you must be _really _bored!"

The hedgehog raised an eyebrow. "What's so bad about this?"

Jasper gave him a deadpan stare. "That's a fiction book, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"It has, what, 2,000 pages?"

"I…guess?"

"How far are you?"

"Almost to the end."

"And do you know the plot?"

"….No."

"I rest my case."

Shadow sighed. "Jasper, the only things we had to read on the ARK where science formulas. The saddest part was, _everyone _seem to find them thrilling…_This_ is literally the most exciting thing I've ever read." He turned the page. "Now leave me alone."

Jasper paused for a moment, trying to figure out what exactly the 'ARK' was. She frowned thoughtfully. Going by what she knew and the context he used it in, she decided it must be the science-labby-type-thing he grew up on. Vaguely, she wondered what continent it was on.

The wolf frowned again at the book her patient was holding, then dragged the book cart over and began rummaging through it. "Here," she said, plucking the book out of an annoyed Shadow's hands. "Try this one."

The hedgehog frowned for a moment at the considerably smaller book thrust under his nose before warily accepting it. He stared at it for a moment, then flipped it over and read the title. "…A Series of Unfortunate Events?"

Jasper nodded, smiling. "Yup! I figured you'd get a laugh out of these, so I got the whole series."

"I don't have your sense of humor, Jasper."

"Oh, I didn't think it was funny," she admitted. "Actually, I found it quite depressing."

Shadow stared at her incredulously. She wasn't making sense again. "Then _why_ would _I_ think it was funny?"

"Because," the wolf explained, "It's all about a bunch of 'weak' people who have to constantly fight to survive." She folded her arms with an accusatory frown, her orange eyes burning quietly. "Don't you find that amusing, Stripes?"

Shadow wisely kept his mouth shut, staring back at her with his expression carefully neutral. Ever since yesterday, she seemed to be in a sour mood with him. However, the mood wasn't a constant presence, like moods were supposed to be. This one jumped in randomly at any opportunity. The hedgehog knew from experience that the best thing to do was just let her make her point. Any interruption from him always ended in a lecture.

So, he just watched her as she dared him to retaliate.

After a moment of silence, the wolf blinked, and every trace of her mood vanished from her features. She suddenly smiled. "Hungry?" Without waiting for a response, she started toward the kitchen.

Shadow relaxed slightly and looked the book over, muttering 'bipolar' under his breath. It looked interesting enough. Still, contrary to what Jasper thought, he was pretty sure he'd be rooting for the children, and not their insane and murderous relative.

However, he only got halfway through the first page before his book was snatched from him. "Hey!" he protested, glaring at the culprit. Jasper ignored him, replacing the book on the rack and rummaging through the wood pile. Shadow sighed and stared at the ceiling, figuring she was about to give him his personal table.

A moment later, he jerked forward slightly as something heavy was thrown at him. Pain suddenly dominated his abdomen, and he could feel the air whoosh from his lungs. It took a few seconds for him to start breathing again.

Looking down, he found a basketball-sized log resting innocently on his stomach. He jerked his head up to glare at Jasper. "What the heck is wrong with y-!" Shadow squeaked out the last syllable, eyeing the tip of a knife centimeters from his nose with pupils the size of pinholes. He swallowed nervously. "J-Jasper..?"

Said wolf smirked, taking a moment to relish in the control she felt and wish she had her camera. Then, she flipped the knife with a fluid grace. Shadow blinked. The handle was now directed at him, while Jasper was expertly holding the sharp side.

After staring for a moment, he hesitantly accepted the offered blade, and looked it over in bewilderment. "…Erm…"

Jasper folded her arms expectantly. "Well, get to it!" she ordered, motioning to the wood.

Shadow finally managed to regain his composure, and quickly assembled a glare. "Get to what?" he demanded.

Jasper sighed dramatically, leaning against the fireplace to stare at the ceiling. "Well…_You_ didn't appreciate my carving, Stripes." She tsked, shaking her head. "So, I figured I'd just show you how much work it takes to carve."

Shadow scowled at her. "I am _not_ carving," he stated.

Jasper shrugged. "You will if you want dinner." Reaching across the counter, she pulled a wooden bowl off of its stack. Then, she crouched down to his level and presented it to him. "I hand-carved this bowl, just as I did most of my other furniture. Now, you've been eating out of this bowl for the past three-and-a-half months, and not _once_ have you thanked me for it. Therefore, you must now eat from your own bowl."

She stood, flashing him a smile. "Have fun," she told him cheerfully, before turning to head back to the kitchen.

Shadow rolled his eyes. Crazy wolf. There was no _way_ she was getting him to carve.

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

"Ow!" Shadow hissed, jerking his injured finger away from the source of it's pain. Growling in frustration, he glared at said object. The offending knife was dotted with tiny drops of blood from similar encounters, some of which had stained into the half-formed bowl. Well, if you could even call it that.

The small, lumpy board of wood currently resembled a hilled countryside, with a few jagged cliffs thrown in just for the heck of it. Some of the hills had their tops sliced off, evidence of their creator trying to make his wood slightly flatter.

It had taken him three separate blocks of wood to decide that his talents laid more in the 'plate' category. His previous attempts at creating a bowl were scattered on the floor below him. One resembled half a battered bowling ball, holes included. Another looked like someone had taken an unfortunate wooden vase and hacked at it with an ax. The shape of the third bowl was unrecognizable, since it had been chopped into eighteen separate pieces in a bout of frustration.

These bowls were scattered among a myriad of partially formed plates, all with holes in them. Two or three of these were keeping the fire lit, while another was stuck where it'd been thrown, strait into the glass clock hanging on the wall.

Lunch had come and gone, and the sun was just finishing it's decent into the mountains, highlighting the room in an unearthly orange glow. Jasper was in the kitchen, cooking supper. The wolf glanced at the aggravated hedgehog, then at his lumpy carving. She sighed and shook her head, pulling out the ingredients for one person.

Then, she glanced back at her scowling guest. He was staring at his carving with the utmost concentration, carefully slicing away one of the numerous hills. After a moment's hesitation, Jasper took out the ingredients for two.

The poor hedgehog had been working nonstop since given his task over ten hours ago. The evidence of his hard work lay piled on the ground. The glove not holding the knife was tattered and torn, stained red from his numerous cuts and scrapes. She doubted there was and inch of his hand left unscathed.

Overall, she was impressed. He'd tried his hardest and, to her utter astonishment, he hadn't complained once. Sure, he swore, threw things, and ranted at his carvings with the most cruel insults he could come up with, but he never once yelled at her. He'd accepted his task with a silent tolerance.

So, she figured he'd done enough work for one day, and deserved the food she was making.

Meanwhile, Shadow was still slicing patiently away at a lump in the wood when he came across a knot. Grumbling, he tried to saw his way through it, but the plate only scooted away from him. Narrowing his eyes in determination, he used his right hand to hold the plate firmly in place and pushed at the knot with all his strength. The knot broke free with a loud crack, effectively splitting his plate in half. The now-free knife flew toward his right hand and sliced his palm open.

Shadow immediately dropped both carving and knife to press his uninjured hand against his wound, gritting his teeth to keep from crying out. He had hardly ever felt pain back when he was nearly indestructible. Now, the feeling was almost unbearable.

Jasper instantly flew to his side, having seen the incident from her vantage point behind the counter.

"Let me see!" she demanded, kneeling beside him.

He automatically held his hand close to him. "I'm fine," he growled through his teeth.

Jasper made another swipe at his hand, then noticed a trail of red trickling down his wrist. "You're _bleeding_! Just let me-"

"No!" he insisted, his voice harsh from pain. "I don't need your help!"

Jasper backed off slightly and looked him in the eye. "Stripes, if you hit a major vein, you could pass out from blood-loss. Even if you managed to stay conscious, you'd be weaker than ever and it would take _twice_ as long to regain your strength."

Shadow's resolve faltered slightly at the thought, and after a moment's hesitation, he slowly brought his hand down for her to look at. The wolf carefully peeled his glove off, hearing him hiss in pain. Then, she gently pried his large fist open, brushing her small fingers along the sides of his hand as she peered intently at his wound. She frowned, finding she couldn't see it through all the blood.

"Wait a moment," she told him, getting up and walking around the couch, toward the bathroom, avoiding the scattered wood. She returned shortly after with a pail of hot water, a washcloth, a small first-aid kit, and a stool. Setting her materials down beside him, she sat on the stool and once again took his hand in hers. With her other hand, she dipped the washcloth into the pail. Then, with the utmost concentration, she gently dabbed at his wound.

Shadow bit back a yelp as a shockwave of pain shot up his arm. By now, his ears were completely flattened against his head. He shut his eyes tightly, and turned his face toward the couch, feeling pathetic for doing so.

Jasper glanced up at him and her heart gave a pang of pity. He almost looked like a cowering child. "This is the first time you felt pain like this, isn't it?" she asked, turning back to her work.

Shadow thought a moment before replying. "No."

Jasper looked up at him, surprised. "It's not? Then what…?"

Shadow laid back to stare up at the ceiling, his eyes taking on a distant look. "The last time was when I fell to earth."

"Fell to earth?" she echoed. "You mean like from a plane?"

Shadow almost smiled. "No. From space."

Jasper paused, trying to wrap her mind around that. "You fell from _space_…," she repeated, her voice laced with doubt. She looked up at him again, trying to catch any hint of sarcasm, but Shadow was staring at the ceiling, lost in his memories. He seemed to do that a lot. "But-" she stuttered, trying to make sense of it, "That would mean you'd have to reenter the atmosphere. If what you say is true, you should be burnt to a crisp!"

"I was at the height of my power," he explained, not even looking at her. "The energy protected me through most of my decent."

"And the rest…?" Jasper coaxed.

Shadow paused, thinking. "I…Well, it was the first time I ever fell asleep. I think it was the first time I ever broke a bone as well." He stopped there, not caring to mention the fact that nearly all of his fur had burned off upon reentry. He was silently thankful no one chanced upon him until it'd all grown back.

Jasper hummed to herself, musing. He was powerful enough to survive a fall through the atmosphere? It was no wonder he was so irritated by his own weakness! At full power, he could probably toss her house sixty feet in the air! She stared at him for a moment, wondering just what had transpired to end in him falling from space. Just what had this hedgehog been through?

"What…What _happened_?" Jasper asked him.

Shadow nearly responded before stopping himself. Why was it so easy for him to talk about this? It was personal! And yet he felt almost comfortable telling her…Just what was it about that crazy wolf that made him want to talk to her? "It's…It's none of your business," he muttered. And it wasn't. She had no right to know; it had nothing to do with her. That was a story he wasn't telling to anyone.

Jasper blinked, before sighing in disappointment. She went back to cleaning his wound, wondering what exactly was the story behind her mysterious guest. It seemed there was more to him than meets the eye.

After a few minutes, she could finally see his wound. "There," she stated, getting Shadow's attention as she deposited the bloody washcloth into the pail of water. The cut ran along his palm, and though it was long, it wasn't that deep. At least, not as deep as she feared. The knife had sliced through the main layer of skin, just missing the muscle beneath it.

It would still need stitches to heal properly.

**Jasper:**** Stripes! Come clean up the bodies!**

**Shadow:**** What! Who did you kill!**

**Jasper:**** They're not **_**dead**_**, you moron! They're just unconscious! I think about two-thirds of them fainted when I mentioned stitches.**

**Shadow:**** Stitches? What are-**

**Jasper:**** Nothing!**

**Me:**** ZZZzzzZZZzzzZZZzzz-*snort*…Whazza…?**

**Jasper: See that shiny blue button waaaay down there? Yes, that's it! Press the pretty button!**

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	8. Idle Conversation

**Me:**** I love my brother. He's an awesome person. Nuff said. Enjoy the chapter!**

Jasper sighed. "It's not as bad as I thought," she told Shadow, who was nervously awaiting her evaluation. "Still, it's going to need stitches."

Shadow raised an eyebrow as she dug around in her kit for a needle and thread designed specifically for such a thing. "Stitches?" he repeated. He'd never heard of such a method.

"Yep," the wolf confirmed, her eyes on the two instruments. "I need to stitch the skin back together so it'll heal properly."

Shadow winced as he realized the needle she was holding would pierce his already throbbing skin. "Is that…absolutely necessary?" he asked, his voice sounding small as he stared at his wound.

Jasper smiled slightly at the silent plea in his expression. Reaching into her kit, she produced a small bottle and a Q-tip. Dabbing the Q-tip into the bottle, she said, "This is going to hurt a lot at first, but it should dull most of the pain." Then, she gently dabbed the ointment on his wound.

She heard him hiss as his body went rigid, but after a moment, he seemed to relax slightly. "How does it feel?" she asked him.

He carefully tested his hand for a moment before replying. "It's sort of…buzzing."

"Does it still hurt?"

"No…Not really."

Jasper smiled. "Good. Now hold still."

Tensing, Shadow did as he was told. He was surprised, though, to find that he could barely feel the needle as it pierced his skin. "What…is that stuff?" he asked, peering inquisitively at the small bottle lying in the kit.

"I don't remember what it's called," Jasper replied, not looking up from her work, "Only that it's designed to numb your skin." She kept stitching as she continued. "My brother got some of it for me when I told him I was going to live out here."

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "You have a brother?"

Jasper smiled. "Two. Marco, my older brother, was the one who gave me the ointment. He actually got a couple of other things: this couch, the clock, some of the lights…He's always worrying about me, poor thing.

"My little brother, Ashes, got me a couple of things too, but I think he only did it because Marco did. He actually helped me pay for some of the house's materials, like the tiles for the counters and the sink."

"The sink?" Shadow repeated.

"Yeah." She looked up at him, surprised. "Where did you think it came from? I may have built this house, but I had to buy most of the materials, wood not included."

Shadow shook his head. "I didn't know you built this house."

"Well, I did. I had to pay a load of money to the nearest town for the running water. I get electricity from my own generator, but those things cost a heck of a lot of money, so I prefer not to use it when I can."

Shadow was quiet for a moment as he watched her work. She was stitching up his wound with the utmost care, her soft fingers brushing against his hand as she worked with supreme gentleness, almost tenderness.

He swallowed slightly and looked away, searching for a topic of conversation. "Why did you come out here, anyway?" he asked.

Jasper paused in her work to look up at him. She smiled slightly before replying. "That's none of your business."

Shadow frowned slightly, a little disappointed. He knew she was just being difficult, but she was right all the same. Even so, he had been curious about the answer to that question for some time now. Besides, it would've kept his mind off of her stitching.

Then, she laughed and said, "Just kidding."

"You're right, though," he insisted, stopping her from continuing. "It's got nothing to do with me."

Jasper shrugged. "That doesn't matter. I honestly don't mind."

"But why should you tell me about your life?"

"Why shouldn't I?" she challenged, raising her eyebrows. He had no answer. "My life's an open book; I've got nothing worth hiding." She grinned. "I thought you'd know that by now."

Shadow humph-ed and returned his ruby gaze to the ceiling.

Jasper shrugged, sighing slightly. "But…I won't bore you with the story."

"I don't mind," Shadow said, a little too quickly.

Jasper noticed this and concealed a smirk. "Alrighty then." The wolf returned to her work, humming in thought. "To be honest, I couldn't stand the city. It was too crowded, and it's people were always in a hurry. Everyone had somewhere to be and something to do. Their worlds revolved around schedules and meetings and time: hurry, hurry, hurry.

"Now, some people like that sort of thing, but the city life just wasn't for me. I never really liked spending time around people; I preferred to be on my own. Out here, I'm completely isolated and concealed from the outside world. I've got almost no visitors, no telephone calls, no bother of any kind. I think it's pretty much perfect for me."

She trailed off, lost in thought until Shadow broke the silence. "So I suppose I'm a bother, then?"

Surprised, she studied him, seeming almost confused. "No…I don't think so. For some reason, having you here hasn't bothered me in the slightest." Then she grinned. "In fact, I think I rather enjoy it."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Of course. Because if I wasn't here, you'd have no one to torment."

"Exactly!" she confirmed, her tone joking, and she was thrilled when Shadow smiled slightly. His smile almost completely transformed his appearance, and it's rarity made it all the more treasured. The fact that she was the reason for his smile made her feel like floating.

"Look at us," she murmured, smiling. "Were such an odd pair. One moment we're arguing, and the next we're talking like friends."

There was a pause as they stared at each other, both caught off guard by Jasper's choice of vocabulary. Friends, huh? Jasper's smile widened. "You should get your hand cut more often."

Silence descended as Jasper cut the remaining thread from the wound. Then, she took a bit of cloth and gently wrapped it around his hand before pinning it in place. Her small hands lingered on his large one as a phrase she once said echoed through both their heads. _"I really do care."_

Jasper shook her head slightly, shaking away the foreign, yet rather pleasant feeling that'd momentarily settled on her shoulders. "Well, that should do it." She gathered up her scattered supplies and stood. Flashing him a smile, she stepped over a small pile of wood to return the materials to the bathroom.

After washing her hands, she returned toward the kitchen where the dinner materials were spread out before her. "Have you ever had rabbit?" she asked him. "It's pretty good."

Shadow, who'd been staring at the fire, deep in thought, looked up at the wolf in surprise. "But, I don't have a plate," he protested.

"That's okay," Jasper replied, waving it off, "You can use one of mine." At his perplexed silence, she turned toward him to explain.

"You've been trying your hardest since this morning and you didn't complain to me once. That, and you were completely cooperative when I tended to your wound, not glaring at me once the entire time." She smiled. "I think you've earned it. Tomorrow, I'll give you a few tips to get you started in the right direction."

"I don't _need_ your help," Shadow insisted automatically, frowning slightly.

Jasper smiled sweetly at him. "Tough." Then, she turned around and lighted the stove.

Shadow stared at the fire, confused. Normally, when she insisted on helping him, he'd be irritated and indignant. Now, though, he couldn't be more content as a pleasant feeling rested on his shoulders.

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

Shadow quietly fiddled with the food on his plate, deep in thought. It was his second meal since discovering the sleeping pills dissolved in his food, a fact he was slowly coming to terms with. A large part of him was automatically wary of any substance designed to effect his body in a specific way, yet a larger part silently agreed with Jasper's decision.

He already had to suffer through enough boredom during the day; sleep was a welcomed escape. The fact that she kept the medication a secret no longer bothered him; she had already admitted fault, and her excuse was understandable enough. With these thoughts, and the meal's enticing aroma, in mind, Shadow started eating.

Jasper soon joined him with her own plate, plopping herself on the couch at his feet, her eyes on the fire. Ever since invading his personal space the night before, the wolf seemed much more comfortable around him. Whereas before she'd have eaten at the counter, she was now practically sitting on his legs, her folded knee resting on his bare foot.

Shadow wondered moodily if she planned on once again taking advantage of his drugged state to cuddle him like an oversized teddy bear. He already hated how helpless he was; it was even worse when he could hardly keep his eyes open, much less ward off her arms as they pulled him against her. It wasn't so much that he minded it, more as his inability to react other than a sleepy protest.

Shadow blinked in surprise and retraced his thoughts. He didn't mind it? The hedgehog double-checked this statement and was stunned to find it true. Other than his complete helplessness, he had no objection to being used as a personal stuffed animal. In fact, it was quite comfortable, especially when she ran her fingers through his quills.

He felt his face heat up at the thought, but it was undeniably true. It was also a secret he was taking to the grave.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Startled, Shadow glanced over at his caretaker. The wolf, having noticed his blush, was looking at him with a sort of curious amusement. She half-expected him to scowl in response, or just flat out ignore her, but was surprised when his eyes darted nervously back to the fire, completely avoiding her own. She watched him shift uncomfortably under her gaze, his features portraying a sort of awkward embarrassment.

After giving it some thought, she decided not to press him about it. "No comment, huh? And here I was trying to make idle conversation."

Shadow glanced at her, eyebrow raised. "Since when do we have 'idle conversation'?" he queried.

The wolf shrugged, her shadow mimicking her movement. "We seemed to have no trouble while I was mending your hand," she pointed out, then glanced questioningly at him, "Or was that just a one-time thing?" The pair mulled over this for a moment or two, then silently agreed that conversation wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

The two still hadn't quite worked out where they stood. As Jasper had pointed out earlier, they were always grating each other's nerves, yet at times, they seemed to tolerate, even _enjoy_, each other's company. The lines drawn between personal and free information had begun to blur, even more so with Jasper's 'open book' declaration.

The silver wolf made it increasingly difficult for Shadow to know where to set up his boundaries; one moment he was a stranger, the next a close friend. As a result, his half-formed walls were littered with holes, and personal information tended to slip out, like that bit about his fall from space.

Said wolf had just gulped down the last of her supper and was getting up to clear her plate. She glanced toward Shadow and, finding his plate also empty, turned to take his as well. The hedgehog was inspecting the smooth, flat surface of the expertly-carved dish with a resentful bewilderment. As she took it and headed toward the kitchen, he quietly admitted that he might be able to learn a thing or two from her.

Shadow turned toward the fire while Jasper started the dishes, letting his limp, useless legs dangle over the edge of the couch as he rested his elbows on his knees. Sitting up was now as effortless as it once had been, and it was no longer difficult for him to pull himself into a sitting position. The challenge came with getting his legs to keep him in that position. If he didn't lean against his elbows, he would end up eating carpet.

On the brighter side, he was no longer stuck laying down. Little did he know that Jasper had noticed this as well, and wasn't about to keep his new-found strength idle.

As the noise in the kitchen died, Shadow felt the sleeping pill beginning to take effect, and leaned back against the middle of the couch in preparation. His head was just beginning to droop when Jasper returned, dropping down heavily beside him. She studied him for a moment and then, grinning at his sleepy expression, she reached out and pulled him against her.

Shadow grumbled out a half-protest, too tired to really care. Annoyed with his own acceptance of the situation, he muttered an insult to satisfy his wounded pride. Then, feeling his rational thought process begin to shut down, the ebony hedgehog subconsciously buried his head in the crook of Jasper's neck, listening to the wolf's slow heartbeat and steady breathing. Her demeanor radiated a calmness that soothed his nerves, coaxing him to completely relax into her embrace.

Shadow only remained conscious for a few more minutes, feeling the Jasper's breath tickling his ear and her fingers combing his quills as they watched the fire crackle and curl up the chimney, casting dancing shadows along the wall behind them. Then, he peacefully drifted to sleep, his dreams pleasant memories of things past.

**Me:**** Wow. Shadow was really cooperative. The reason? This counts as the absolute first time he willingly accepted Jasper's help.**

**Did I mention I love my brother? Cause I do. And I hate Chemistry. **

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	9. The Visitor

**Me:**** M'back!**

**Shadow:**** I hate this chapter.**

**Jasper:**** You hate every chapter.**

**Me:**** Why **_**this**_** chapter?**

**Shadow:**** *scowl***

**Jasper:**_**Think**_** Adia.**

**Me:**** …Oh.**

**Shadow:**** I hate you.**

**Jasper:**** I LOVE this chapter! *snicker***

**Shadow:**** I hate you too.**

**Jasper:**** *grins* No you don't.**

"Here, hold the knife like-No! Not like _that_! Do you want to slice your hand open again? Like _this,_" Jasper corrected, carefully removing the deadly blade from his uninjured hand and turning it so it was not in a position to slice off his fingers. Shadow grumbled slightly at being chastised, but accepted the new hold nonetheless.

Jasper then proceeded to show him how to carve the half-formed plate. "Now remember, this is a carving knife, not a saw or an ax. You're not trying to chop the wood; you're trying to direct and form it. Slide the knife along the wood at and angle, like this." The wolf expertly sliced away the very top of the wood, taking off a long, curled strip that was nearly paper thin.

Shadow stared hard at her hands and the knife, trying to silently memorize the way the it was held and it's precise angle. When she handed the knife back to him, he mimicked her previous actions, being able to slice off a strip almost at thin as hers without splitting the wood in two.

With Jasper's constant supervision, their carving had miraculously managed to stay in one piece. It was a reasonably round shape, and was relatively flat, with only four smooth hills on it's surface, and almost no jagged edges.

To say the wolf was relieved they'd not yet had to start over was putting things lightly. She wasn't entirely certain Shadow would tolerate all of their hard work being a complete waste of time. He'd probably pin the whole situation on her own lack of skill and stubbornly refuse her help once again. Besides, he was bored enough as it was.

However, unbeknownst to Jasper, the seemingly uninterested hedgehog had been drinking in every word she said, watching her every move with a critical intensity. He'd resentfully decided the night before that, loathed as he was to admit it, the wolf was indeed more talented than he at carving. Determined to end his present nightmare of cuts, stitches, and utter frustration, he was set on learning what she knew as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.

Part of his problem, he soon discovered, was that he had previously been carving toward his hand, which accounted for the hundreds of tiny cuts covering every square inch of his right hand. According to Jasper, he was lucky he only had _one_ set of stitches.

Shadow was carefully carving the little hills out of his plate, with Jasper nodding her approval, when a knock suddenly sounded at the door. Both student and teacher froze in horror for approximately one-point-three seconds. Then, Jasper sprang to life, expertly snatching the carving knife out of a startled Shadow's hands without slicing his fingers off. The knife was discarded over her shoulder and most of the lumpy plates were discarded into the ever-present fire, while the rest where stashed hurriedly behind the wood pile.

Shadow's mind was still catching up when he found himself slung over the wolf's shoulders and carried halfway across the room. He was then dumped unceremoniously on the floor as Jasper reached for a small, near-invisible cord above her head. A ladder immediately flew downwards, and Jasper caught it just in time to stop it crashing to the ground. She swiftly set it down and slung Shadow back on her shoulders before his mind registered being dropped.

The ladder was climbed with catlike grace and agility, and they were at the top in barely a second. Once there, Shadow felt himself half-dropped, half-thrown backward onto a plush, bouncy surface. Before he had a chance to get his bearings, Jasper sternly whispered one tiny piece of information: "If you don't want the whole word to know you're paralyzed, _shut up_!"

And then she was gone.

It took Shadow a half-second to register that he was now on Jasper's bed, which explained the ladder. After building the house, the wolf hadn't had room for both the couch and the bed, so she had built a small, wooden platform in the far corner of the house, directly above the fridge, stove, and a cabinet or two. The platform's only occupants were the bed and a small nightstand that she never really used.

Dazed, Shadow dragged himself toward the edge of the bed, trying to peer over the platform do see what was going on. Jasper nearly took his nose off as she half-threw the ladder back into place. Still feeling slightly disoriented, Shadow once again hesitantly crawled toward the edge of the bed. He got there just in time to see Jasper answering the door.

A part of his mind was trying to convince himself that Jasper _hadn't_ gotten him from carving to hiding in less than fifteen seconds.

The aforementioned wolf had creaked the door open and was peering through the crack like a hermit. "Oh, it's you," was her emotionless response. She angled her head slightly as if peering behind the visitor and sighed. "That's quite a storm outside; you'd better come in."

"What, you mean you're actually inviting me _in_ this time?" was the teasing response. Shadow froze in horror. He recognized that voice.

Shadow didn't need to be told to duck out of sight as Jasper opened the door and a grinning blue hedgehog strolled casually inside, drops of rain clinging to his soaking wet fur.

Why? Why? _Why_? Why _him_? And _how_? Jasper had…had _recognized_ him. How in the _world_ did a loner like Jasper know someone like _Sonic_? Did fate really hate him that much?

As though he'd read the baffled hedgehog's mind, Sonic directed his cheerful gaze toward Jasper. "Marco says hi, by the way."

Oh. Shadow barely refrained from banging his head on the bed frame in front of him.

At the mention of her oldest brother, Jasper's once-hostile demeanor slid off her features, replaced by a relaxed, almost warm, smile. "And Ashes?"

Sonic grinned. "He sorta waved."

Jasper laughed quietly. "He always does."

The wolf then tugged a towel off a nearby rack and threw it to her guest while she strode over toward the kitchen. The whole time, she didn't so much as glance in Shadow's direction, acting as though he wasn't even there.

"So," Jasper said as she opened the fridge, "How are my brothers anyway? Any news?"

"A little," Sonic replied, rubbing the towel across his fur. "Ashes got this boring desk job working for some company called 'Forward Associates'."

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "He got a _job_? Seriously? Does he enjoy it?"

"I think so," The hedgehog answered, glancing upward in thought. "Apparently the boss is a real pain, but the work is fair and the pay is pretty good."

"What do they do, anyway?"

Sonic shrugged. "I dunno. I heard something about 'writing schedules for building contractors', but the rest of it went right over my head."

Jasper grinned. "Doesn't everything?"

"Hey!" he protested, pretending to look offended in spite of his smile. "I can learn!"

Jasper raised an eyebrow.

"What, I _can_," he insisted.

Jasper rolled her eyes dramatically. "Yeah…You just keep telling yourself that." She grinned right back at him as she started fixing lunch. Sonic was one of those few people left in the world who actually _enjoyed_ being made fun of, and didn't take anything personally. Playful banter was second nature to him, making him a pretty easy person to talk to.

The blue hedgehog stopped by her house once a year or so while on his constant travels, keeping her updated with events back in the city. Her brother, Marco, had befriended a friend of Sonic's about a year before she'd left. This friend, Amy Rose, almost immediately took a liking to him.

A few months later, Sonic came over to personally thank him. Of course, he'd been more than a little surprised that not only did Marco not recognize him, but he also didn't have a clue what Sonic was talking about. Amy usually made her affections bluntly obvious, but the wolf kept insisting she only thought of him as a friend. Of course, he was the only person who believed this.

On that thought, Jasper couldn't hold back a grin. "How's Amy doing, by the way? Is Marco still clueless as ever?"

Sonic snickered, tossing the towel across the chair and lounging back on the couch. "Yep. Of course, Amy's a whole lot better at hiding it then she used to be, but sometimes she gets this look like she wants to bang her head on the nearest brick wall."

The two laughed at this, sharing their own private joke before Jasper asked another question. "So, has Marco got a job, or is he still mooching off his poor, unfortunate friends?"

The two continued to converse in this manner for the next couple of hours. Jasper pelted the hedgehog with one inquiry after another. Sonic readily supplied the answers with out so much as blinking. They talked about everything, from the latest news with friends and family, to the teenage society's latest obsession with vampires. "I mean, he _sparkles_! What kind of guy _sparkles_?" Shadow had never seen the blue blur stay in the one place for so long.

The conversation's ebb and flow slowly died down, and there were a few minutes of a contented silence. After awhile, Sonic spoke. "You know, we really miss ya back home, especially your brothers." He turned to look at her, his smile gone. "Are you ever coming back?"

Jasper paused, considering. When she replied, her voice was quiet, and slightly confused. "I will," she promised, "Eventually. You know, two months ago I would've just said, 'Hold on, let me pack'. Now though…Something's keeping me here."

Shadow, who'd been practically falling asleep with boredom, suddenly pricked up his ears with startled confusion. She was talking about _him_.

"But," Sonic protested, also confused. "How can you stand it, being up here all by yourself?"

Jasper shrugged. "I like my space," she replied. "At least, until recently…"

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "What happened recently?"

Jasper squirmed slightly. "I met someone."

As she'd expected, Sonic immediately grinned. "What _kind_ of someone?" he asked, laughter in his voice.

Jasper's ears reddened. "Not _that_ kind of someone."

"Then why's he keeping you here?" Sonic pointed out, still grinning.

Jasper frowned. "What makes you think it's a 'he'?" she demanded.

"Because you could never really stand the female species, which is kinda weird if you ask me."

"Well, I _didn't _ask you. I just don't like how _critical_ they are of each other, Amy being the sole exception. Men are more easygoing."

"So," Sonic probed, "Why's he keeping you here?"

Jasper hesitated. "Well…He's…uh…"

"Interesting?" Sonic supplied, his tone still mocking.

"Well, _yeah_," Jasper replied, "But he's not-I mean that's not why…I…H-He's…." She paused to gather her thoughts, wondering why she felt so flustered. "He's like a mystery," she finally said. "I just haven't figured him out yet. That's all."

Sonic grinned, his green eyes dancing with laughter. "Riiiiiiiight." Then he ducked as a cushion sailed over his head.

Shadow blinked. A mystery, huh?

Sonic didn't stay long after that. The storm had cleared up, and he was eager to be on his feet again. "Well, it was nice seeing you again," he told her, standing up with a stretch. "I'll tell your bros you said hi."

"You do that," Jasper agreed, shooing him out the door. "I'll see you later."

At the door, however, Sonic pause and turned with a smirk to whisper in her ear. "Oh, and tell Shadow that if he wanted to hide from me, he probably shouldn't of leaned over the edge like an enthusiastic six-year-old."

He was gone before she could blink.

Shadow watched Jasper curiously as she turned away from the door, muttering swearwords under her breath. "What'd he say?" he asked her.

For a second, Jasper froze like a deer in the headlights. Then, she squeaked, "Nothing! It wasn't important!" and hurried over toward the kitchen and out of his sight.

Shadow frowned suspiciously, then shook his head. "Crazy wolf."

Two seconds later, she backtracked and looked up at him curiously. "By the way, how exactly do you know Sonic?" she asked.

Shadow glared at her. "What makes you think I know him?" he demanded.

Jasper rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I know recognition when I see it. Besides, he mentioned you."

Shadow frowned slightly, his eyes becoming distant. "I tried to kill him once. Three times, actually."

Jasper stared, wondering how the heck he could mention that so casually. It took her a moment to find her voice again. "So…You're enemies?"

"Rivals, actually," he corrected.

"Aaaaand, _why_ were you fighting?"

"I was trying to destroy the planet."

Jasper stared again, trying to wrap her mind around what he was saying. And he thought _she_ was crazy. "So," Jasper clarified, "You're…_not_, anymore, right?"

Shadow frowned at her, clueless. "Not what?"

"Trying to destroy the world. Because if you are, I _probably _shouldn't be helping you get your strength back."

Shadow was quiet for a m oment. "None of your business," he growled.

Jasper frowned and crossed her arms. "Stripes, if you don't tell me, I will personally turn you over to the government so that you can tell _them_."

She was joking, of course, but history and statistics alike have proven that men have a tendency to be clueless.

Shadow immediately stiffened and his eyes fell to the floor.

He couldn't go back. Not there. Not to the government. The thought of it terrified him. GUN had destroyed everything, killed his best friend, massacred innocents just to get to him…If she turned him in, he'd go back to suspended animation, where he was at his weakest. He'd been conscious every second, the scene of Maria's death playing over and over…

"Or not…" Jasper muttered, peering at him intently. The same hedgehog who smiled about his memories also seemed terrified of them. Something had happened, she knew this for certain. What, she didn't know, but he'd tried to destroy the _planet_. Was that still his goal? Was all of the burning hatred she'd seen before going to destroy everything she knew and loved? Or was he just lost, and if so…could she ever find him?

After a moment of silence, she climbed the ladder and joined him on the bed, studying him. He didn't look up.

"Shadow."

Shadow flinched when she spoke his name. It was so rarely used, and was voiced with a quiet seriousness, yet it was a gravity laced with empathy.

The wolf leaned close to him, speaking softly, her eyes boring into him, every gesture and tone radiating a deep understanding. "Who are you?" she asked him, her hand brushing against his face before gently tilting his chin, forcing him to meet her eyes. "What kind of person am I sheltering?"

Shadow's heart thudded. She was doing it again. One moment, she was the enemy, and now…Shadow felt his barrier slip.

"I…I don't know."

His words were unexpected to the both of them, filled with such a raw honesty that he didn't even know he possessed.

Jasper stared into his eyes for a long time, the intensity and depth of her gaze making him feel vulnerable.

Then, she smiled warmly, her eyes glowing. "I suppose we'll just have to figure it out then," she murmured.

Maybe her guest wasn't as lost as he seemed. Maybe he wasn't _completely_ buried under his anger. Maybe, if she dug deep enough…Maybe she _could_ find him.

**Me:**** That last line drips with cheeeeeese…..Oh well. I did my best.**

**Shadow:****I still hate this chapter.**

**Jasper:**** *grins, leans on his shoulder* Why? Because you actually showed **_**emotion**_**?**

**Shadow:**** *growls* I was out of character!**

**Me****: So? People love sappy scenes. Deal with it.**

**Shadow****: *folds arms* Care to explain why you took two **_**months **_**to write the last paragraph?**

**Me:**** *tackles* SHHHHHH! **

**Jasper:**** She was working on other stories. None of which she **_**finished**_**, but still…**

**Shadow:**** Excuses!**

**Me:**** You're just getting back at me for this chapter, aren't you?**

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	10. When Enough is ENOUGH

***Insert crashing, banging, and girly screams***

**Jasper:**** Our author is currently unavailable due to previous engagements with another character. *ducks to avoid flying stapler* I am here to say that the excerpt from ****A Series of Unfortunate Events**** and any storyline references to it are by Lemony Snicket…I think. Now, please help yourself to my author's writing while I keep Stripes from shredding her. Excuse me. *bows and disappears**off-screen:* All right, that's IT! *insert drilling sound* BREAK IT UP BEFORE I-**

"_Hey boss!" Hugo called from the next tent. "Colette won't share her dental floss!" _

"_There's no reason to use dental floss," Count Olaf said, "Unless you're trying to strangle someone with a very weak neck."_

"_Kevin, would you do me a favor?" the hook-handed man asked as Sunny struggled to open the jar of juice. "Will you help me comb my hair? These hooks make it difficult sometimes."_

"_I'm jealous of your hooks," Kevin replied. "Having no hands is better than having two equally strong hands."_

"_Don't be ridiculous," one of the white-faced women replied. "Having a white face is worse that both your situations."_

"_But you have a white face because you put makeup on," Colette said. "You're putting powder on your face right now!"_

From across the room, Jasper grinned at Shadow's expression as he read book ten in A Series of Unfortunate Events. She couldn't quite place it, but it was the kind of look you'd see on someone who just witnessed a herd of rabid jellybeans chasing the Pink Panther and demanding a maternity leave.

"Trying to make sense of it?" she guessed, an eyebrow raised in amusement.

Shadow squinted at the book. "…A two-year-old, who's only talent is biting, is cooking a gourmet meal on top of a mountain for villains who are arguing about the uses of dental floss." He looked up at her, adorning a pained expression. "Why am I reading this again?"

"Because you refuse to relearn how to walk," Jasper explained, giving him a pointed look. "I suggest you do so before you get an aneurism."

Shadow immediately frowned, and returned to the book. "I'll take my chances.

Jasper sighed. "Stripes, this is getting _ridiculous._ It's been _two_ months since I carved your crutches, and you haven't seen sunlight in _six_. You _need_ fresh air!"

"Then open the window."

Jasper frowned. "That's _not_ what I meant and you know it."

Shadow ignored her, stubbornly burying his head in his book. It was actually a very entertaining story, if one ignored the impossible-ness of it all.

Jasper stared hard at him, her eyes boring into his forehead. He hated it when she did that. It meant she was either about to force him into something, or was planning to in the near future.

After a few seconds, he heard her march out the front door, slamming it behind her, and relaxed slightly, convinced his torment was meant for another day. Three minutes later, she returned with something that didn't rise above the height of the couch and sounded like it had wheels. It was hard to tell, since most of the sound was muffled by carpet.

He didn't have to wonder for long though, as Jasper instantly rounded the couch and wheeled the thing right beside him. He glanced up nonchalantly from his book, feigning disinterest. He stared.

Shadow's first thought was curiosity. From what Jasper had told him, they were in the middle of nowhere. Where in the world would she get something like this? This was answered by a memory of her mentioning a town a couple of miles away. She must've gotten it on one of her numerous trips.

The second emotions were stubbornness and outright rebellion. He folded his arms and glared at her. "I don't think so."

The third emotion was a lingering dread edged with irritation. Jasper was in one of her moods, the ones that happened every so often, when the wolf grew tired of waiting for something to happen and decided to take matters into her own hands. Shadow knew that there was no force on heaven or earth that could keep her from getting him in that wheelchair.

However, his pride would be pulverized it she managed to lift him off that couch without a struggle, so he sunk low into the couch, making himself as heavy as possible.

Without a word, Jasper grabbed a hold of both his arms and gave him a sharp tug. Anticipating this, Shadow threw himself further into the couch at the same time, so that her force was met and matched. The wolf paused for a second, thinking, and then rounded the couch and tugged at his feet, sliding him off the couch.

Shadow instantly latched both arms onto the side and back of the couch and held on for dear life. Throwing her weight into her efforts, Jasper managed to lift his whole body into the air, so that the strength in his arms was the only thing keeping him from flying toward her.

Let us pause for a moment of review. Robotnic's gismo sucked all of the strength out of the ebony hedgehog, leaving him completely paralyzed. Since then, the only time he ever had to really exercise his arms was during two previous battles with Jasper. Now, these arms had to not only support his weight, but also hold against Jasper-in-one-of-her-moods' strength.

The amount of time he held on was a testament to his willpower. It was so long that Jasper gave up and released him to try another approach. Shadow tried to control the decent of his arms, instead of letting them flop uselessly to his sides like the noodles they now were, so that Jasper wouldn't repeat her previous tactic.

Jasper frowned at her stubborn friend, yes _friend_. Shadow had officially made it onto that short list, though she wasn't sure when exactly. She thought for a moment before deciding that if she tugged on him long enough, she could eventually wear out his stamina. Again, she firmly gripped his arms and pulled, this time bracing her feet onto the side of the couch and throwing herself backward. Shadow wrapped his fingers around her wrists, gathered up his strength, and gave her a massive tug.

Caught off guard, Jasper's leverage vanished and she went flying toward him. The hedgehog was ready for her, and immediately wrapped his arms around her, trapping her. He was, of course, relying on the strength of his hands which now had a firm grip on the sofa underneath them. His arms were still noodles.

Shadow fully expected Japer to struggle, and was mildly surprise when she just smiled at him. No, she _smirked_. Shadow swallowed, suddenly aware of how close her face was.

The wolf tsked, resting her chin against his fluffy white chest. "Now, Stripes. Don't you remember what happened last time you trapped me?" Shadow's eyes widened, betraying his panicked expression as his mind revisited the event.

_Shadow froze in shock, his brain completely shutting down. What...what was she...? And then she tightened her hold on him, and the hedgehog couldn't think at all. It took a few moments for reality to kick in. She was kissing him! The sudden wave of panic he felt jump-started his brain, and he managed to shove her away from him and scramble backwards._

Jasper grinned as Shadow's face bore a sudden resemblance to a tomato. Oh, he remembered alright, and she could tell from the look of horror on his face that he wasn't planning on letting it happen again anytime soon. She had no intention of letting him know she had similar intentions. Now all she needed to do was scare him a little, just enough to freak him out and get him to shove her away. The memory of what happened _last time_ should be enough.

The wolf made a big show of leaned closer _ever_ so slowly, watching Shadow's eyes widen to their limit as his blush spread. His head sunk further into the couch, desperate to escape, yet refusing to let go. He knew that if he let her win _this _time, she would use the same method again _later_.

The hedgehog felt a dose of irritation poor in his panicked mind at the thought. He couldn't _stand_ it when she manipulated him like this! What was worse was the fact that it was _working_. He _hated_ how much control she had over him.

As the wolf lay her forehead against his, Shadow desperately tried to focus, hardly believing he was even _considering_ his current thought. Why did the kiss freak him out so much, anyway? He told himself that it was just a little more contact than he was used to, and, logically, it shouldn't be that big of a deal. Therefore, Jasper couldn't use this threat against him.

So why was it _working_, a part of him yelled. It _wasn't_, he thought firmly, and he was more than ready to give his tormentor a dose of her own medicine! His irritation gave him enough motivation to suddenly lean forward and do just that.

Jasper froze in shock, hardly registering the situation as Shadow kissed her, _hard_. Shadow was-Shadow-_Shadow_ was kissing _her_! _Why_ in the _world_ was he-! A squeak escaped her throat as she tried to pull away, but Shadow wasn't having it. His hands released the couch, one moving to the back of her head while the other encircled her shoulders, holding her in place as the strength miraculously returned to his arms.

Effectively trapped, Jasper could only lay there as Shadow's mouth moved against hers with a passion born of unending frustration. His sole purpose was to scare the willies out of her, and he wasn't letting her go until he was sure she'd leave him alone for the rest of eternity.

It was then, of course, that his mind caught up to his actions, and he became aware of the ark of electricity making his heart rate go haywire. The title wave of pleasant emotions that accompanied them knocked him back to his senses. This didn't happen before. Before, it was pure revulsion, but now…

_Her small hands lingered on his large one as a phrase she once said echoed through both their heads. "__**I really do care**__."_

Was it because they had gotten closer? Either way Shadow was now quite certain that her willies had fled and she wouldn't bother him for at least several days. It would have to do.

Shadow released her, resisting the temptation to shove her away. Finally free, Jasper launched backward, thumping against the other side of the couch. There, she _stared_, her mind a puddle and her insides in knots as her emotions ping-ponged around uncontrollably inside her.

Feeling his determination wither, Shadow forced his frazzled brain into submission and put on a uncaring, slightly annoyed expression. "I'm afraid that trick won't work on me anymore."

Jasper's mind seemed to no longer be capable of coherent thought. She stared at him for a full two-and-a-half minutes, too overwhelmed by the chaos raging inside her to notice. Then, she stood in a daze, and turned toward the kitchen without a word.

Shadow, meanwhile, had suddenly remembered why he'd been so against the kiss. It caused an adrenalin rush that lingered for several hours, and the intensity of the multiple emotions inside him was unnatural. This reaction was something he couldn't possibly logic out and he therefore wanted nothing to do with it's cause.

He was trying to stifle said reaction when,

"Waaait a mi- …Ohhhhh, _no you don't!_" Jasper snarled, whirling around and marching back towards him. Shadow suddenly wanted to sick into the couch. She. Looked. Ticked.

Jasper was beside him in an instant. Not giving him time to protest, she lifted him off the sofa with the strength of a bear and half-threw him into the wheelchair. Then, she leaned in close, her nose inches from his face. "You. Need. Fresh. _Air._"

Shadow leaned so far back he nearly tipped the wheelchair. He wrapped his fingers around it's armrests, half-expecting wolf-zilla to throw him out the nearest window, chair and all.

He certainly wasn't expecting her to smirk. "Didn't think I'd give up _that_ easily, didja?" She stood up and folded her arms, lifting her chin with an air of superiority. "If their's one thing you should've learned by now, it's that in a battle of wills, I'll _always_ be victorious."

Internally, Shadow was for one extremely thankful of Jasper's mood-swings. Externally, he frowned. "I beg to differ."

Jasper when into a thoughtful pose, dramatically humming in thought. "Hmm…Let's see now…Should I list my winnings? Or how about I put in writing?" She snapped her fingers. "That's it! I'll make a written record of every time I win, so that next time you say that, I'll have _proof_! For now, though, you're just going to have to take my word for it." Grinning, she spun Shadow's chair around.

"Hey!" the hedgehog shouted, suddenly thrown to the side. "Watch it!"

Ignoring him, Jasper wheeled him toward the doorway. Now that he was facing away from her, her expression of triumph crumbled. Ho-ly. Newspapers. He had-_Shadow _had…Shadow. The most anti-contact person she'd ever met. Had kissed her. _Her_. The most annoying person in his life so far. He'd _kissed_ her! Kissed! On the _lips_!

And just when he had started becoming _predictable_! Oh, gosh, what had he been _thinking_? What _was_ he thinking? Did he even _care_? Or had the event already been discarded into the pile of things he wouldn't bother to remember? And what if he _did_ care? Was he feeling the same affects she was? Was he thinking about it now? Did he regret it? Did he-

"Jasper!"

Said wolf jumped a few feet at Shadow's irritated yell and glanced down to see the object of her thoughts had turned in his chair and was glaring up at her.

"_Any_ day now," he growled.

Jasper blinked and looked around, suddenly realizing she'd stopped moving at the threshold of the door.

"Well?" Shadow demanded impatiently. "Are we going or what?"

Jasper shook her head slightly, pushing her spazzed questions into the back of her mind, and grinned down at him. "What, so you're _eager_ now, are you?"

Shadow faced forward once more, glaring at the closed door in front of them. "I'm _eager_ to not sit here with you standing above me for the rest of eternity."

Jasper tsked, shaking her head. "Stripes, my friend, patience is a virtue."

"So is unidleness."

"Actually, it's not. You're thinking of diligence."

"Same thing."

"No, it isn't," Jasper argued. "Besides, 'unidleness' isn't even a _word_."

"Yes, it is."

Jasper scoffed. "In what world?"

"Mine."

"Your world is grammatically incorrect."

"So is yours."

"…Touché." Jasper grinned. "Well, ready to see where we live?"

Shadow raised an eyebrow. We?

Without another word, Jasper skipped in front of him and dramatically threw open the door.

**Me:**** Arg! I tried really, REALLY hard not to write the kiss scene! I even started writing something else as substitution, but that scene just HAD TO BE WRITTEN!**

**Shadow:**** *gasp, cough, wheeze* I *pant* I **_**despise**_** you.**

**Me:**** At the moment, I believe him. I can only speak while Shadow get's his second wind. Then it's RUN AWAAAAAAAAY!**

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**V**


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